Old version: Alice
by KatnissTheGirlOnFire19
Summary: This is the old version of Alice
1. Chapter 1

...

_Hey guys! _

_So, I'm starting a new story!_

_I actually have no idea what it's going to be about. But I thought I'd write a new one for you guys._

_Twins is actually taking a very long time. It's because ArianaWeasly is really busy, and she can't write that much anymore. And we are still plotting the storyline for the arena. Yeah. Just expect Twins to update once or twice a month. Sorry for the wait guys. _

_This story is from my iPad so I can write it where ever. ArianaWeasly also wrote some parts of this. (Through email) She will co-write with me again for this story. But, I'll probably write most of it. _

_I actually have no idea what this story will be called. Maybe you guys can Review/PM me any suggestions?_

_Anyways guys, I hope you like this story! I will have chapter 2 up in a day or so. _

_- Kat_

….

I take tired steps at the stairs creak noisily. The stairs seem to go on forever. My legs are now like lead…

Hours, maybe days, later…I make it to the top. I'd been too busy counting the stairs (3,077) to notice the trap door. That's how I ended up with a huge bump on my head as I crawled out of the trap door, and into the sunlight.

The sunlight stung my skin. I was burning. I had been in the dark for too long that my skin reacts differently to the sun. Maybe I had been inside for weeks.

The sunlight blinded me; it was like trying to stare at a diamond while white light is shining on it.

I shielded my eyes from the sun, trying to look around. I took in the sight of my surroundings; I was at Giza, in Egypt! _That was impossible._ I entered the tunnel in Quebec, Canada. All I did was take the stairs, and I end up here. _Amazing._

I walked around, looking curiously at the people dressed in layers. It was blazing hot here. Like inside an oven right after you baked a cake. _Why would they want to wear layers of fabric?_

Some people studied me with funny looks. I get them. A pale girl with dark mahogany brown hair in a thigh-length light blue dress, and black knee-length boots. And the fact that i was probably also dirty.

I smiled at the people who were staring at me. They mumbled in Egyptian, and walked towards me. They had angry expressions on their faces.

One old woman suddenly came up to me. Her tanned skin was rough, like leather. She wore a white long sleeved dress; good for keeping cool in the hot sun. On her feet were thin sandals, almost worn through at the heels.

She came up to me, babbling in a strange language that definitely wasn't Egyptian, or English or French for that matter. I only spoke English and French, because I grew up in Quebec.

The strange old lady got inches away from my face, her black eyes wide. She grabbed the neck of my shirt, and pulled me so close her nose was almost touching mine.

"Waar is hy? Waar teh hulle verberg my seun?" She mumbled frantically.

"What?" I said.

"Waar is hy?" the woman repeated frantically.

"Uh, I don't speak your language," I said slowly. "Do you speak English?"

The old woman just looked at me with a confused look on her face.

"Uh, Parlez-vous français?" I asked.

The woman's face lit up, "Oui!" She replied. She began to speak in rapid French. It was lucky I knew it very well; otherwise I wouldn't have been able to keep up.

"Avez-vous vu mon fils? Où est-il? Savez-vous où ils l'ont caché?" She said in a thick accent.

She looked at me expectantly, as if I could make it rain if I wanted it to. I thought about what she said. She had been asking me where her son was, and if i knew where they had taken him. _Who were 'they'?_

"Désolé, je n'ai pas vu votre fils. Qu'est-ce qui lui est arrivé?" I replied. I had told her I didn't know where her son was, and asked what had happened to him.

"Permettez-moi de vous montrer..." the woman replied, taking her hand in mine.

We were walking, then in the next second we were in front of the pyramid. None of the tourists paid any attention to us. As if we were invisible.

I was staring at the wall of the pyramid. It was just blocks of limestone. _What did she need in here?_

"Allez!" The old woman barked at me. She was frantically gesturing to the limestone blocks. "Qu'est-ce que vous attendez?Entrer!" She said.

I blinked. "Quoi?" What? I asked her. Then in front of me, a doorway appeared. She waved her hand again, gesturing for me to go in.

I uncertainly stepped in the pyramid. She came in after me.

She scooted beside me, and said, "Allez! Allez!" The old lady said. She tugged on my hands; She had them at a firm grip.

We walked faster and faster. Deeper into the pyramid. The passageways were getting narrower. _Not again_, I thought. _I've had about enough for small spaces._

The old lady started talking in non-stop French. My head started spinning. I couldn't understand her. French was my birth tongue. But I had grew up speaking English.

I snapped my fingers, her language immediately switching to perfect English. I had perfected that power.

"Hurry! My son! He has to be saved! Hurry! He is buried! Buried! Hurry!" She was mumbling over and over.

We finally reached a pair of doors, visible only because of the small lamp hanging over them.

"Inside," the woman said, shoving the doors open roughly. We walked inside. It was a dark room, only lit by two lamps.

The lady nudged me inside. There was a sudden crunch under my foot. "What was that?!" I yelped.

"Shh, shh, it's just bones," said the woman. "Just bones."

"Bones?!" I squeaked. I was not a fan of dead things. Especially people.

"Yes, now go stand over there, near that cercueil," she said.

The English was beginning to wear off. I snapped my fingers again, louder this time, and the French switched back into English.

"Debout là-bas maintenant! Stand over there! Near that coffin! Quickly now!" The woman ushered me over to a long, decorative box. It was the coffin, or cercueil. "Face the corner!"

Confused, I stood next to the coffin, and faced the dark corner. It was covered with silvery spider webs. "What does this have to do with your son?" I complained.

"Absoluut niks my liewe," the old woman muttered in her strange tongue.

"What?"

"Just face the corner!" The woman said sharply.

I faced the corner. I stood there for at least a minute, when I started to get agitated. Strange sounds were coming from behind me. They sounded like small cries of pain, mixed with the meowing of a cat. I didn't want to disobey the lady's orders, so I stayed facing the corner. The noises kept getting louder though, so I finally decided to take a peek.

I turned around slowly. Before I could face the woman though, I saw something moving on the wall. It was the woman's shadow.

Her hunchback form was arching into a long, arched back. Her fingernails grew claws, and her hands transformed into large, powerful paws. Her limbs grew muscular and lean. The sounds of ripping fabric echoed through the room as her clothes grew too small for her. A long, flexible tail suddenly appeared. Last but not least, a snout formed, and two ears sprung up out of her head.

Horrified, I turned around completely and faced what had once been an old lady, but now was a tiger. Bold stripes decorated her body, and her lips curled back, revealing a set of pointed teeth. A growl came out of her throat, soft at first, but then gradually growing louder. She threw back her head, and let out a loud roar.

Then she lunged at me...

….

_Cliff ending! Lol. _

_What do you think so far? _

_Review please! And tell people about this story! _

_ - Kat_

...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

I willed my mind to turn into mist. I did, I evaporated into nothingness.

With me gone, the tiger slammed into the corner. Her face making contact with the pyramid wall. The whole building shook.

I tried to keep parts of myself from floating away in different directions. I hated turning into mist. One time when I turned back into a human, my arm was missing. I found it a couple of feet from me.

I tried to keep that from happening now, so the moment i turned into mist, i quickly and floated behind the old lady, and turned back into myself.

I wasted no time and lunged at her. I aimed for her neck; it was the quickest way to kill. She threw me around; her wails filled the whole cavern. It was so loud that if I had regular ears, it would've burst. I was distracted for a second, but I focused again and wrapped my stone arms around her neck. In one swift move, I snapped her neck with my hands. There was a loud cracking sound, and the whole cavern went silent.

Green mist came out from her mouth. It shaped itself and surrounded me tightly. I had no trouble breathing, but it was trapping me. "You have made the fates an enemy," it whispered. And with that, the tiger and the mist disappeared all together.

I tried to put all the information i gathered. All of it made no sense. _The fates, magic, and all of the monsters._

The pyramid rumbled and pieces of stone fell from the ceiling. I stood there, trying to move. But i couldn't. Something was holding me down. I looked at me feet; on it was a snake

The snake was long and green, and it was continually wrapping itself tighter and tighter around my feet and legs. I was paralyzed, and big chunks of stone were falling around me. I'm going to die, I thought.

I glanced up, and saw a particularly large, pointed rock headed straight towards me. Panicking, I threw myself onto the ground, and rolled out of the way just in time. The snake hissed angrily.

Clouds of dust were rising up around me. I choked and coughed, and tried to stand up. It was impossible; the snake's grip was too tight. I checked around the room desperately for anything I could use. A small glint about ten feet away caught my eye.

I rolled some more, and ignored the snake as it sunk it's fangs into my skin. More rocks were falling now, some just missing me by inches. I finally made it to the glint, which turned out to be an unbroken shard of glass. I grasped it in my hand, and stabbed the snake with it. The snake's grip slackened, and I threw it off of me.

I could finally stand up now, but just barely. The bite from the snake was beginning to swell up. I gritted my teeth and tried to look for a way out of the pyramid. The doorway was blocked by chunks of stone. There were no other doors, or obviously windows either.

I didn't give up though. If there was one thing Coach had taught me, it was never give up. I spotted a little strip of light was shining through the high up ceiling. It fell on the coffin. I looked up, and saw a small hole in the ceiling. I could climb out.

I took a deep breath, and shook out my arms and legs. I then forced my mind to focus on a lioness. The lioness was my animal; it represented power, ferocity, and incredible cunning. If I could focus on it enough, it would give me strength. Unsurprisingly, the tiger was the lion's worst enemy.

I thought once more of the fierce animal, and then began my climb. Adrenaline pumped through my veins with my new found agility, as I climbed on top of the coffin and up onto the wall.

Climbing the inside of a pyramid was weird. It was like trying to crawl up upside down stairs, which is no easy task. My arms and legs shook, but still held on. My fingers ran over the walls, finding even the smallest handholds. My snake bitten leg was becoming so swollen that it was useless, so i had to resort to using one leg.

Minutes later, I made it to the hole in the ceiling. It wasn't quite big enough for me to squeeze through, so I tore at it with one hand until it was as wide as my shoulders. I crawled out of the pyramid, and into the daylight.

I rested on the pyramid. No one was taking notice. But all of them were looking at the tip of the pyramid. I looked around. The pyramid was surrounded with golden light.

The light grew brighter and brighter until it suddenly disappeared. Where the source of the light was, a very pretty girl stood. She had a cloak made out of lion's skin. She had striking features, clearly marking her as a powerful person. From here i took notice that she had a lioness necklace.

I gasped. She was here. She was the only other girl that could tap into a lioness. The most powerful animal of them all. She was stronger than me. She had become a goddess after all the hard labors she had done. And after all of the maddening events that has happened to her in the short time. She had almost died, but they made her into a goddess.

I also wanted to be a goddess. But Coach told me it wasn't easy to become one. He said that it includes a great deal of pain and some loss.

She smiled at me. Instantly, i felt warm inside. I felt relaxed. And calm. And most importantly, safe. I hadn't been safe since…a long time ago. It felt like she was making me stronger. The throbbing pain in my foot was no longer there. My foot wasn't swollen anymore. She had fixed it.

I looked back up at the girl, she looked no older than me. She was 17 at the most. "Thank you," i whispered.

"You are welcome. You deserve it," she said in a honey sweet voice.

My smile grew bigger. I had no idea how she heard it, the space between us was very large. But she did.

"But you know, this comes this a great price…" She said, her eyes turning cautious.

I nodded; nothing was free in this world. Especially in my world. The world I was living in.

She nodded, she understood. "Til' we meet again…" she said in good bye.

I had questions to ask her, but she shimmered into gold powder and disappeared. The people down on the ground gasped at the same time, and fell into unconsciousness.

I sighed, I had to fix this or it will be on the news_. AGAIN._ It wasn't the first time i had met a god/goddess and the nearby people fell into unconsciousness. _Really, it wasn't._

I jumped down, closing the distance from my spot on the pyramid and the ground in a second. I first checked that everyone was unconscious, if they weren't, the spell i was going to perform was going to kill them.

"Réveiller!" I said. _Wake._ All the tourists moaned and stood up from the ground. I quickly ran to a nearby stand that sold clothes and took some. I felt bad for stealing, but I got used to it.

I ducked under another stand and put on the layers. I needed to blend in. Once I was ready, I joined the Egyptian crowds and tourists…

…_.  
_

_Do you like the story so far?_

_-Kat_

_**Review please!**_**  
**

….


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The streets were filled with millions of people milling around. Tons of stands lined the streets, selling everything from books to fruit to jewelry. With my new clothes, I blended in. I wore a long blue, sheer fabric, which was wrapped around my body to form a dress. Thin gold sandals we're ln my feet. I also had some golden hoop bracelets, so I wouldn't look too out of place.

People were still glancing at me more than they should have. What was it? Had a wrapped my dress the wrong way? It wasn't that though, they were staying at my head.

Then I realized that everyone here had dark hair, deeply tanned skin, and brown eyes. I, on the other hand, hand blonde hair, green eyes, and light skin. _I wondered if I could pass for an albino._

I shook my head at the stupid thoughts, and tried to figure out where I should go next. All of the stands looked the same, and most of the buildings were homes. My stomach then growled, so I decided to find something to eat.

I smelled a wonderful spicy aroma, and walked towards the stand that was creating it.

All of a sudden, a strong hand gripped my arm. I spun around and saw an old man. He opened his mouth to speak, so I quickly snapped my fingers.

"Come to my stall," he said. It didn't sound menacing, it was almost pleading.

I didn't trust old Egyptian people anymore though, so I tried to just walk away.

The man pulled me back again though and repeated, "Come to my stall, please. I have something to give you."

I finally gave in, because the man seemed to have the golden glow of a god in disguise around him. A crowd was starting to form too, and it was probably best not to draw attention to myself.

The man led me over to his stall, which happened to be right next to the food stand I had been heading towards. His stall was filled with stacks of old books and manuscripts, all piled precariously on top of each other. The man didn't go towards any of the stacks though. He simply said, "I need the key."

"What? What key?" I said.

"The one to access the _book_," the man replied with a special emphasis on book.

"But I don't have a key!" I protested.

"Yes you do," he encouraged. "Look inside yourself, and you will know the answer."

I obeyed, and closed my eyes. A fog fell over my mind, and I began to search through my brain for anything of interest. One particular memory seemed to be sticking out, and it was a very recent one. I looked inside.

"You deserve it," the goddess was saying.

_I was thanking the goddess for my leg..._no wait, there was something else. _She had fixed my leg, but that wasn't what she was implying. _This time, in the memory, _I looked down at my ankle. On it was a little golden loop, with a miniscule locket._

_"But you know, this comes with a great price..." the goddess said._

_She wasn't referring to my bite. She was talking about the anklet.__It was a key to something, a big quest, something that would result in me losing something in the end. __I couldn't refuse the challenge though. It wasn't allowed to refuse the gods, and who would refuse a quest anyways? Very few people ever even got one…_

I opened my eyes, and the real sounds, sights, and smells of the world came rushing back to me.

"Did you see it?" The man asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Ah. I knew you would!" His face lit up with a toothless smile. "Now where is it?"

I sheepishly unclasped the chain from my ankle. I noticed that on the locket part of it, there was a tiny lioness engraved on it. It looked unnatural for some reason, and I soon figured out why. The lioness didn't have whiskers.

"Hand it to me now," the man said.

I handed it to him, and he began examining it closely.

"Now, usually the gods try to trick you, so these are hard to open. They want to make sure only the Keepers, like me, can open them. We wouldn't want anyone else to use them, now would we? Now let me see here, I know this goddess's style..." the old man mumbled.

He tugged on the chain twice, and took out a knife. He carefully carved whiskers into the engraved lioness. I could've sworn it let out a tiny roar when he was finished.

"Now...for the word. What could it be?" He wondered. "Leeu?"

The locket did nothing.

"Of course not, too obvious," the man muttered.

"Snorre? Maanhare? Vlinder?" He recited.

The locket did nothing. The man rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Any ideas?" He asked.

"I don't speak your language though," I said.

"I'll translate it for you," he suggested. "Do you have any idea what it could be?"

"Uhm, something to do with tigers?" I suggested.

"Oh! Of course!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Just a moment...what did she say a few days ago? Ah!"

The man turned and looked at the locket importantly. "Tiere suig!" He announced.

The lioness purred contentedly, and the locket sprung open. The old man chuckled to himself.

"What? What did you say?" I asked.

"I said 'tigers suck'. The old goddess still has her sense of humor I see..."

I didn't really find it that funny, so I faked a small polite laugh. "What does the key do?

"It opens this trunk, which contains the book I must give to you," said the man.

He bent over, underneath a table, and pulled out an ancient looking trunk. He took a small key out of the locket, and inserted into the keyhole. The lid of the trunk popped open, and the man reached inside and pulled out a small red book. He handed it to me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Read it," he gestured me to open the book.

So I did, I opened the book and saw strange symbols I couldn't decipher. "How am I supposed to read these?" I asked.

"They're Greek," said the old man.

I groaned, "That means I have to go to Greece now, doesn't it?"

"Of course it does!" Replied the old man with another toothless smile.

He snapped his fingers, and I fell asleep…

….

_Time to go to Greece!_

_-Kat_

….


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

I didn't feel the ground; the old man must've caught me. Or for all I know is that the old man sent my soul to a travel through the magic realm so I could wake up in Greece. I did that sometimes; when I fell asleep I would go into the realm and get visions. That was a natural power of mine, seeing visions. It ran in the bloodlines of my family. But I was the strongest one to use it. I didn't travel though; those were the skills of the Keepers and gods.

I woke up, a slight feeling of vertigo coming over me. My back hurt, like someone had been punching me. (Which I have felt) I blinked several times, trying to clear the fuzziness out of my eyes. I looked around, all I saw was that I was indoors. There were also tiny specks, of what i made out as people. I heard that they were all mumbling in another language, Greek.

I was somehow able to understand them if i focused. The Keeper must've put a spell on me.

"Look at her!" One exclaimed.

"What is she doing up there?" A man whispered.

"She's so high up!" a little kid said to his mommy.

"That's a great height!" Another woman said.

Height…_That's why the people were so small._ I was up on some sort of podium. Everyone was staring at me. The people had cameras and little maps. I discovered that they were tourists - I was at another tourist spot, GREAT.

I didn't know which tourist spot I was in, so I looked around. I didn't find anything. I just knew that i was in a Greek building. It was decorated with carved columns. It was filled with intricate designs and carvings of art on the wall. There were no statues.

_Statues…_I suddenly knew where I was at. I was at a temple. And I was on the podium that the statue was standing on.

I looked up. Above me was a very intimidating, very large, statue of the Greek goddess, Athena. She was huge. She made the whole room look small.

_I was in the Parthenon._ In Athens, Greece. But the whole building was supposed to be half broken now. _Why was it all fixed and remodeled?_

A pain shot up my back. I ignored the question I gave myself and fixed my position.

I realized that I was lying on her feet. _That's why my back hurt._ I stood up, trying to balance myself and try not to fall the ten foot drop to the ground. Ten feet was nothing, I've jumped higher. But I wasn't in jumping condition right now. My back hurt, and I felt kind cranky because the Keeper dropped me here.

_He could've at least put me on some other place in Greece. A nice sacred hill perhaps. NOT at the feet of a large goddess statue. And he left me with ANOTHER tourist crowd - not fun._

The crowd will probably go tell the police about a blond, pale-skinned, girl that appeared here randomly. It wasn't a first. _It wasn't a first for many events._

One time, I had appeared at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. I was stuck and had to get help from the coast guards. Then another time, I was dropped off on the lap of Abraham Lincoln, in Washington DC. Luckily that time, the tourist spot was closed so there weren't any tourists. I was dropped off by Keepers these both times. I don't know why they have admiration for these historic statues.

I was still standing up, trying to find a way down. Minutes after thinking, trying to rack my brain for useful information, more people came. But they weren't tourists, I recognized them.

They were like the police in our world. They were wearing long brown robes and long red scarves that touched the marble floors. Their hoods were pulled up, covering their faces.

They were Magi. Or as one, a Magus. They were like the Keepers, but instead of guarding treasures, they guard places. They were everywhere, especially at sacred lands. Like here, in Greece.

They were more powerful than us, the enchanters. But they were as powerful as the Keepers. They hated that. They acted like the bosses, like no one was more important than them. Except for the gods. They envied the gods for that title. But in their minds, they believed that they were the most powerful. The gods knew all about this, how they treat people unfairly. And how they are power hungry. But they still made them guardians, like the Keepers.

Thousands of years ago, there was the most powerful Magus, Agnus. He was about to become a god, after all the good deeds he did. And because he was such a good leader. A military leader. But he became too power hungry, like the rest of the Magi, and started a rebellion.

He thought that he was much more powerful than the gods. He thought that he was Leviathan, a being much more powerful than the gods. They were the enemies of the gods, like the Titans in Greek Mythology.

So he started a rebellion, and the other Magi joined him. The Magi lost, as a punishment, the gods cast them into the Abysm. They stayed in that prison and suffered. Once the gods felt that they spent enough of their time there, the gods slew the Magi.

Nobody knew that story. The gods had erased the memories of the Magi who weren't involved in the war. Only the gods that existed back then knew the story.

One of the gods were my ancestor, the story was passed down from family member to family member, generation to generation. If we were to speak of it to anyone else, it said that you will get punished and serve you fate like the Magi that joined Agnus back then. Of course, one of my family members had to speak of it. It was a great story. _Of course_, my father had of speak of it. Now, he is serving the consequence.

The Magus walked up to the statue. The Magi in the middle of the three took his hood off, the other two followed suit. They exposed their appearances. I have never seen one, but I knew a lot about them.

All of them had beautiful features. I noticed that their faces radiated with power. Power that will make you obey them. _No matter what. _The Magi in the middle had violet irises. The Magi at the left of the middle Magi also had light orange irises. The Magi at the right looked like the other Magus, but he had crimson irises.

I knew that no one else would've noticed that. That different glow they have. The god didn't notice it either. Only I did, and some other enchanters in the world.

They were all beautiful, like what I had been told. But you had to be very careful of them. They were temperamental. And not that nice.

The middle Magi threw blue light at me.

"Ne pas éluder," he said in perfect French. _Do not duck._

I followed his order, I wasn't going to anyway. I knew that this light will get me down from where I was.The light wrapped around me, and slowly and carefully set me a couple of feet from the Magi in the middle, on the ground.

"Mer–" I began, trying to say thank you. The Magi in the middle held up his hand. He was clearly the leader.

"No, no. Que faites-vous ici?" _What are you doing here?_ He asked me.

I sensed a spell in his sentence. He was trying to take the truth out of me. _Seriously?_ I thought. _They already had the power radiating from them._

I could refuse the spell, but I saw no point. "Je suis ici pour une quête. Un gardien de l'Egypte m'a envoyé ici. Il m'a dit que j'avais un travail à faire ici." _I'm here for a quest. A guardian of Egypt sent me here. He told me that I had a job to do here. _

He nodded, "Je dois vous emmener à la tête Mages." _I have to take you to the head Magus._ He made a sour face at the 'head Magus.'

The Magus in the middle and the other one faced the doors and walked towards it. One Magus, the one with crimson eyes, stayed back and walked up to me and put a hand to my back. The Magus steered me to follow the other Magus. His hand was hard against my back, forcing me to walk.

I got annoyed. "Chaleur," I muttered. _Heat._ The Magus behind me cussed in Greek.

"Si tu recommences..." _If you do that again…_he threatened in French.

I hid my smile. "Désolé, juste à pratiquer!" _Sorry, just practicing!_

He hissed, "Les suivre." _Follow them. _

….

Chapter 5 will be coming soon!

In a couple days or so.

-Kat

…


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I let the Magus behind me lead me on. We walked past all the tourists which I now noticed were frozen. The Magi must've done that; they couldn't survive the sight of Magi magic.

The Magus with crimson eyes snapped his fingers as we left the room and the people unfroze. Some looked slightly confused, since I had seemed to just disappear. They shook their heads though and decided it was just a hallucination. _Mortals were so stupid._

We walked out of the Parthenon. The view was incredible. We were up on a hill, looking over the city of Athens.

There were beautifully made buildings that popped up everywhere. From here, located on some sort of park, was a huge olive tree. I could also see a huge stadium, meant to hold thousands of people. I realized that it was the Olympic Stadium, where the first Olympics were held. Spread out through the city, were statues of Greek gods and goddesses. Some were life size; some were almost as big as the statue of Athena.

The Magus behind me nudged me, motioning for me to go follow the other two Magus. The Magi moved fast. They were now walking down the hill. I noticed that the Magi were now wearing their brow robes again, with the hoods up. Their feet weren't touching the ground; they looked like they were being carried by the wind.

The Magus behind me muttered, "Courir." _Faster._ His mutter was directed on me, I knew it was a spell. He tried to make me move faster; apparently he thought that I moved like a snail.

A cold feeling filled my body; I knew the spell was working. I also knew because at the speed I was moving right now was incredibly fast for me.

We caught up to the other two Magus. They had stopped at a big rock. It was about 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide. I noticed it was made out of white colored granite. The Magi with the purple eyes touched his had onto it. The rock gave off blue light before a doorway appeared. The doorway was swirling with gold dust. There were also shiny, silver bubbles mixed with the gold dust.

The Magi in front of me calmly stepped through. I turned around to raise my eyebrows at the Magus behind me. But before I could do that, he me pushed me into it.

"Ο επικεφαλής Μάγων πρόκειται να νευριάσει," said the Magus with purple eyes.

_Shoot. _They had switched into Greek_. I could only take one language at a time._

"Ξέρω, δεν θα πρέπει να είναι εδώ. Δεν ήταν καν υποτίθεται για να πάρετε μια αναζήτηση!" Replied the Magus who was pushing me.

"Could you please repeat that?" I asked.

"Like we'd do that for you," snorted the Magus with purple eyes.

"Wait, you guys speak English?" I asked. I hadn't even realized I had spoken in English until they had answered me.

"Of course we do, we're Magi! Didn't your Coach tell you about us?" Said the Magus with the orange eyes.

"No, we're not really supposed to talk about you..." I said.

"Αυτό συμβαίνει γιατί είναι πάρα πολύ φοβερό δεκάρα γι 'αυτούς!" Spoke the one with crimson eyes.

The Magi laughed appreciatively. I got mad. "I might have no idea what you just said, but I do happen to know some excellent Greek swear words and I'm pretty sure you just used one!" I said indignantly.

The Magi just laughed again, and began to walk faster. It had taken us that long just to make it across the huge floor of the ballroom we had appeared into a little while ago.

The ride in that swirling vortex wasn't pleasant. The gold dust was just dust. Which were now stuck in my clothes and hair. The silver bubbles were actually bubbles of water. I didn't get why there was water in it.

I found out that the vortex was actually a little entry that takes you anywhere you want to. Practically at anytime. You just had to know how to use it, or you'll end up stuck in the Abysm. It was a dangerous journey, but the Magus were knew how to use it, so they do. And because it gets you to the location faster than summoning yourself to it.

"The head Magus senses us..." one Magi muttered.

The other two cursed quietly in Greek. Their words echoed around the ballroom which I had just noticed wad empty.

We came up to a set of double doors that were guarded by two huge men that looked like body builders.

"We are here to speak with...the Head," the Magus with orange eyes said.

The men nodded, and knocked sternly on the door 4 times.

A melodic voice said from inside the room. "Come in," it said. "But first, take the girl's book away from her."

"What book?" Said the Magus with purple eyes.

"Really," drawled the voice from inside the room, "I must request better Magi for the next job. It's in her dress!"

The Magi lunged towards me, but then realized what they were dealing with.

"Just give it to us, and save the awkwardness," the one with orange eyes pleaded.

I smirked, almost wishing to make them uncomfortable, but gave them the book anyways. The crimson eyed one took it gratefully, and then squared his shoulders towards the door.

"Now what are you waiting for? Come in!" Ordered the voice of the Head.

The large, wooden double doors swung open. Revealing a golden colored room. The Magi in front of me walked in. I followed them in.

"Why are you just standing there?" One Magus hissed from behind me. "Bow down to him!"

The Head Magus dismissively waved his hand, and laughed. Ambrosial sound filled the whole room. The Magus behind me retreated.

I barely heard what he said. I was too busy staring—my mouth slightly open—at the Head Magus.

He was beautiful. He had elegantly curved lips, a silk face, and arched eyebrows. He had hair the color of bronze, and a dazzling smile. He was also pale. But unlike the other Magi, his skin color suited him statuesquely. _He was angelic._

He laughed again; the same sound filled the whole room. "Pourquoi, je vous remercie mon cher." He said, gesturing to me.

My mouth slightly opened a bit more. He was angelic _and_ he spoke in perfect French. My amazement didn't last long though—which was a surprise—because I wondered how he knew what I was thinking.

"Je peux entendre les pensées des gens," he answered. _I can hear people's thoughts. _

"Ah," I said in reply. "Jusqu'où pouvez-vous entendre?" I said. _How far can you hear?_

"Je peux entendre les pensées de ceux qui m'entourent," he replied. _I can hear the thoughts of those around me. _

I pretended to be amazed by his power and shielded my mind from his magic. I shielded my mind just enough so he wouldn't hear my other thoughts. I protected some of what I was thinking, and what my actions were going to be. But not what I was going to say, so he wouldn't be suspicious of me.

_You're ugly. _I thought, testing my powers. He didn't seem to show any sign that he heard. Curiously, I tried to hear what he was thinking. _Hahaha, I seem to amuse people, _he thought_. I am the most powerful being here, in this room, _the other part of his mind thought.I tried not to smile.

I made sure my mind was once again protected and let my other thoughts wander.

"Je—" I tried to explain why I was here.

"Oui. Oui. Vous pouvez rechercher tout ce dont vous avez besoin dans cette ville," he granted. _Yes. Yes._ _You can look for whatever you need to in this city._ I smiled appreciatively. "Mais…" he added. _But… _"Je veux que vous fassiez une petite tâche," he smiled. _I want you to do a little task._

I gritted my teeth; _I hate it when there's a 'task'._

"Je veux que vous preniez miroir de Calithea," he requested. _I want you to take Calithea's mirror. _Some Magus gasped, some grunted with approval. "Cela prouvera que vous êtes digne," he explained. _This will prove that you are worthy._

"Digne de quoi?" I asked. _Worthy for what?_

"Quelque chose pour plus tard," he replied with a wave of his hand. _Something for later on._ "Maintenant aller!" He said, with a sly smile on his face. _Now go!_

I heard his thoughts. I did need to prove that I was worthy. But not because of 'for something later on.' He just didn't think I was worthy to continue on with my quest. He thought I was weak, like the other enchanters. He was about to kill me off, but when he saw me, he thought I would be good for his 'entertainment.'

Hearing his thoughts made me angry. _I'll prove that I was worthy. More than that. _I formed a plan in my head.

The Magus behind me steered me out of the golden colored room…

…

_About to start Chapter 6!_

_-Kat_

…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

We had once again entered the ballroom. The Magus behind me steered me across the ballroom and stopped at another set of doors. I hadnt noticed those doors before. But it was impossible not to.

The doors were even taller than the one that led into the golden room. They were huge, about 30 feet tall. The doors were pure gold. It was decorated with pictures of gods, which i found quite weird because Magi hated the gods.

I could make out Calithea, holding her beloved mirror. The one that the Head told me to fetch. She was the most beautiful goddess.

Next to her was Ariston, her husband. He was skillful, he could make anything. The gods admired him for that skill. The other gods took Ariston for granted, always ordering him to make items for them. Especially Calithea. She was like a spoiled little girl.

I could also see other gods. Valdus, the most powerful god. Reine, the wife of Valdus and Queen. Persimon, the avenger. Guerrer, the general of the gods. Pelagios, who is the god of earth's oceans. Cliona, the goddess of earth's seas and lakes. There were several other gods. But I was looking for one god in particular. _One goddess._

I found her; she was on the right of Valdus, the most powerful god. She was wearing a dress, made out of lion skin. Where she sat explained her position in the circle. The goddess was the right hand of Valdus. She was the 2nd most powerful of them all. They call her, Erregina Luaneshë, or Queen Lioness. She was my patron, one of the goddesses that share her power with me. The lioness represented her.

She had used to be one of the minor gods. But she slew the golden lion. The golden lion that was one of the Leviathans. The golden lion had tried to kill Valdus, but Luaneshë had saved Valdus and killed the lion. By killing the lion, the Leviathan died. No one knew that the lion was one of the Leviathans until after Luaneshë killed it. The soul of the Leviathan came out of the golden lion's mouth and said, "This is not the end. I will come back, and take back my place as the most powerful ruler." With that, the soul of the Leviathan disappeared. After that, she skinned the lion, and used its pelt for a dress.

The doors swung open, revealing a beautiful view. We were up on a hill, the view spread out before us. It looked like Athens. But I knew it wasn't Athens, because I could see the Eiffel tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa near me. Up in the North I could see Mt. Everest. Over to my right, I saw the Taj Mahal and the Roman Colosseum. These were some the buildings that I had dreamed of seeing in my life.

I looked at the Magus who had accompanied me here; he was also looking out and taking in the view with a hint of a smile on his face. I was about to ask him a question, but I didn't want to ruin the moment for him so I just gazed back at the view and kept my mouth shut.

I realized that my eyes were drying up because I hadn't blinked yet, so I did. When I opened my eyes again, the view shifted. The Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, and the Roman Colosseum were now gone, along with the other buildings. I recognized that we were looking at the Empire State building, looking down at the tall buildings of New York. I saw it on photographs, I always had wanted to see New York.

Not believing, I blinked again. The view shifted into another one. It occurred to me that whenever I blinked, the view would change. The view would change into any place you would want to see.

We were now looking at Buckingham Palace, in London. People wearing those ridiculous-looking, long, black hats marched out of the Palace, they were holding trumpets. At the same time, a long black car drove up. The trumpeters stopped marching; they were evenly spaced out from each other. They stood still, and then they began playing. While they were playing, the Queen smoothly walked out of the Palace and climbed into the car. The car drove away, and the trumpeters marched back into the Palace.

A little wisp of air escaped my mouth. The Queen, I had dreamed of meeting her once. I hadn't exactly met her, but I saw her and it wasn't on tv.

"What do you see?" The Magus asked me.

"The Buckingham Palace," I answered.

The Magus chuckled, "Make your eyes see what this place truly is."

I did, I willed my eyes to. The view shifted again, and this place was the most beautiful than any other in the world.

I could see that it was meant to represent _Zion_, or paradise. Maybe it _was_ Zion, but it wouldn't be possible because I wasn't dead. Or maybe it would, but…I don't know. I just knew that the view was unimaginable.

"Is this…Zion?" I asked breathlessly.

The Magus nodded, his electrifying-blue eyes slowly turned into a gold shade. "Beautiful isn't it?"

I nodded, it wasn't beautiful, it was _unexplainable._ "Why am I able to see it?"

"It's because this…palace…was built here on Zion. No one is allowed into it, unless you are a Magus," he said gesturing to himself. "A god, or…granted _special_ permission to enter," he gestured to me. "And we see this view naturally," he continued.

I nodded, taking in the view. We were again, up on a hill. The sky was a mixture of gold hues, soft pinks, light oranges, and swirly clouds. The clouds were cool; they were like the swirls in Van Gogh's **Starry Night**. The dots from the same painting were also there, bright yellow mixing with the other soothing colors.

The lands were large green hills with different looking buildings on each one. They were all houses. One hill had Victorian houses. Another had Villas with vineyards on them. Another had Tuscan houses that looked like came from Switzerland. Another had Greek styled houses. Another had Roman styled ones. Another had completely modern ones that were shaped like a box. All of them were mansions.

On the hills near me, I could see people in their backyards lounging and having parties. Way out in the distance, there were snowy mountains. I could make out a couple of chair lifts that take people up the mountains.

Up in the North, off to the coast of the mountains, was the ocean. It was pure blue with mixes of dark purple and sea greens. There were islands spread out from each other. Some had towns and houses like the hills; some were bare and were filled with luscious palm trees.

I instinctively stepped out of the palace, it seemed like something was pulling me out.

The Magus behind me gripped my arm and pulled me back. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned.

"Why not?" I complained.

"If you stay here in Zion, and you'll be tempted to, you will become one of the dead and stay here forever," he explained.

I suddenly felt very foolish for trusting my legs to carry me out of here. "Where am I supposed to go?" I really had no idea where I would find Calithea's mirror.

"Think about where Calithea would be right now," he suggested.

I did, I thought about where a goddess of beauty would normally spend her time. I really didn't know where she would. I didn't think she would be in a regular mall. I thought about it hard, but I came up with nothing.

_Paris_, a voice whispered into my ear. The voice was cold and mellow. I almost didn't hear it because I was too busy thinking. I realized that it was the same voice that told me to enter the tunnel that led to Egypt. I didn't trust this voice anymore. It just lead me to danger. _But_, it did help out with my quest.

"Can you teach me to summon that vortex that the other Magus summoned earlier?"

The Magus was already shaking his head, "No," he spoke with such force. "It is forbidden to teach an enchanter to summon vortexes," he answered.

I heard his thoughts; I didn't need him to tell me out loud. He just had to think of the vortex and I would get the directions on how to.

_Close your eyes, and then picture the vortex forming in front of you. Imagine every detail of the vortex. The swirls, golden dust, and the silver bubbles. Will your mind to make it true and real in front of you. Imagine what the vortex feels like. The speed while you're in it, the dust that feels like fine sugar, the silver bubbles touching the cool temperature on your skin. At last, tell the vortex where you want to go._

I did everything what his thoughts told me to. I willed the vortex to appear in front of me, I told it that I wanted to go to Paris, France. It took me a minute, but when I opened my eyes, the vortex was there.

I looked at the Magus; his eyes were huge and were back to its original color, electrifying blue. "How did you…?"

"You told me," I said with a sly grin. With that, I looked back at the vortex and jumped in...

...

_Le temps d'aller à Paris!  
(Time to go to Paris!)_

_Don't forget to review and tell other people about this story _

_-Kat_

...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was like I was going through a wormhole filled with fine, gold sugar. I felt the rush of wind, the rough gold dust, and the cool silver bubbles press at my skin. I'm now spinning round and round, like a football spinning through the air. I kept going on like that for minutes, making me feel dizzy.

Finally, after what it felt like an hour, I saw the vortex open up. It opened up to a clear blue sky. It was almost as beautiful as the sky at Zion. The vortex spit me out.

I looked around; I was on the Eiffel Tower, on the balcony. _The view was amazing. _I could see the _Arc de Triomphe_, and the _L__é__na Bridge_. By look of the sun and sky, I knew it was midday. People were having lunch at cafes and restaurants. Some were having picnics at parks.

The sight was surprisingly clear. My eyesight seemed to have gotten better—I noticed every little detail. I could see every person's face. One man had a French beret and an artist's mustache.

Behind me was one of the Eiffel Tower's restaurants. There, too, people were having meals for lunch. I walked in; the set was lavish. The table cloths were pristine. The chairs looked comfortable enough for the Queen. My eyes didn't miss a thing. I could see every little dust flying around the air. I could see the little words printed on the menu boards. I could see every pore on every person. _That's when I noticed it. _

_Nobody was moving._ But everyone had their heads inclined towards me. _Everyone_ was looking at me—even the toddlers who were playing with their food.

"Hi," I said. Nobody moved. _I wasn't even sure if they were breathing._ I moved, nobody else did. Their eyes were still fixed to where I was standing before. I ran to the elevator and pushed the down button. _I hope it works, I hope it works. _

A little ding went off and the elevator door opened. "Yes!" I made a little fist pump in the air and stepped into the elevator. Luckily, there was no one in the elevator. _I couldn't take it if another random person was frozen and was staring at me. _

I pressed the Lobby button; I wanted to get out of here. I had no idea what happened to those people but I had a feeling that it was connected to the vortex.

There was elevator music playing as I was going down. It was some lady signing opera in French.

_Go to the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré. That is where you will find her. When you find her, you will find the mirror. Find the mirror. Find the mirror and succeed in your quest. I wish you luck, Alice._

The opera stopped, another song played. I kept replaying the words over and over in my head._ Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré. Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré. Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré._

The elevator made a little ding and I knew it was time to get off. The elevator doors opened. People were again, staring at me. They were all frozen. One man was standing in front of the elevator, looking at me straight in the eye. I pushed past him and ran out of the elevator.

The lobby was grand. The floors were made out of marble. The walls were pure white inlaid with a weaving gold pattern. I had no time to admire the French art hung up on the walls or the framed pictures of Mona Lisa because I was barreling out of the lobby and onto the street. It was breezy and cold, like a Spring morning.

I needed to find '_Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré._' It was my only clue to finding Calithea. _And her mirror._

I stopped at a pedestrian to ask where '_Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré'_ was. "Où se trouve la rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré?"

"Euh, il ya un arrêt de bus juste là," she pointed to a nearby bus stop. "Prendre le bus et dire au chauffeur de vous déposer à la rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré," the lady replied. _Uh, there's a bus stop right there. Take the bus and tell the driver to drop you off at the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré._

"Je vous remercie!" I replied, thanking her. I ran to the bus stop, the bus already arrived and was loading its passengers. I climbed aboard and asked, "Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré s'il te plait." _Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré please. _I walked on only to be stopped by the driver.

"Frais," he said sticking his hand out. _Fee._

"Ah," I replied. I closed my eyes and imagined a wad of Euros in my hand. When I opened my eyes, there they were—handy trick that I learned from Coach. "Combien?" _How much?_

"Cinq Euros," he replied. _Five Euros. _

I have him one of the bills and went to go find a seat. One seat in the way back was only left. I walked over there and sat tiredly. It occurred to me that I could've summoned a vortex, but I was too tired to. It felt weird to travel in a normal bus with normal people when the past couple of days I had been traveling around and using vortexes.

I closed my eyes and relaxed. In no time someone was nudging me. I heard his thoughts through the touch, he spoke English and he was headed to the same place I was. It was a boy about my age. He had nice blond hair and bright green eyes. "Nous sommes ici," he gestured outside. _We're here._ He was the boy who boarded the bus before me; he must've heard where I was going.

"Ah, je vous remercie," I replied. _Ah, thank you. _He got up from his seat—which was across from me—and made his way up the bus. I followed.

On my way, I noticed a beautiful woman taking out a violin. She was as pale as the moon and had long chocolate colored hair. I thought she was going to clean the violin, but she started playing a melodious tune. When I got to the front of the bus, people started swaying slowly and their eyes started drooping—including the driver's.

I wasn't sure what the woman was doing. I knew she was putting a spell on the passengers for them to sleep, but for what—I didn't know. I didn't feel sleepy at all. Soon, everyone was sleeping—except for me and the green-eyed boy.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" I hissed, forgetting that I was supposed to be speaking French.

"I don't know! I don't feel sleepy," he said. "And how did you know I speak English?"

"Oh, shut up and forget about that!" I hissed. "Look!"

The woman was at a man's throat, drinking his blood. The man was already dead—pale and lifeless.

"Shit!" The boy muttered. The fished out a wand and sent gold light at the woman. That got her attention. She turned toward us and lunged at the green-eyed boy. Before she could get to him, I put up my shield.

The bus was filled with a loud screeching noise. She was at the back of the bus, some parts of her burned.

"Enchanter?" The green-eyed boy and I asked each other simultaneously. We both nodded and focused at the woman again.

She had already gotten up and was finishing up the man. I imagined all of my power gathered up in blue light and was flying at her. When I opened my eyes back up again, she was lying next to the man. She was no longer beautiful. She was burned and looked like a corpse.

The bus was reeking the smell of blood and rotten meat. I gagged and ran out of the bus. It had gotten colder, I started shivering—out of terror and because of the winds. The green-eyed boy followed out moments later. I looked at him questioningly, "The corpses?"

"I took care of it, don't worry."

I nodded and looked back up at the bus. People were starting to wake. The bus driver looked around and out at us. Then he closed the doors and drove off, as if nothing happened.

The boy and I walked on in silence. We walked pass a café, which I ran back and entered to order hot chocolate. "You want anything?" I asked the boy after ordering my drink. He nodded and spoke to the girl at the counter. He pointed at a chocolate muffin and said, "Ce s'il vous plait." _This please._

The girl smiled at him and bagged the muffin. The man who took my order came back with my hot chocolate. I took it gratefully and was about to pay, only to be stopped by the green-eyed boy. "I'll play," he said handing Euros to the girl at the cashier.

We walked out of the cafe, drinking and eating in silence.

"What's you name?" I asked, after finishing my drink.

The boy seemed to hesitate, "Alec."

. . .

_I didn't know how to end the chapter, so I ended with his name._

_Chapter 8 is on the way!_

_~Kat_

_. . ._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I nodded, "I'm Alice."

"What are you doing in Paris?" Alec asked.

"I have a…task," I said. I didn't want him to press on any further, but apparently he didn't get it because he asked, "Which is?"

I sighed and said, "I have to find Calithea's mirror."

He pressed further, "Why?"

"I'm on a quest," I said.

"What is it for?"

"I don't know…" I said trailing off. I looked ahead of me; we were surrounded with people carrying shopping bags on both arms. Some had the bags running up to their shoulders. We stopped to look at the roads—if anyone was driving—and crossed a street.

"I could help you…" he offered seconds later.

"I don't know…" I said uncertainly. "Why are you here?" I asked. _It was my turn to ask the questions._

"I don't know…" he replied.

I looked into his mind. It felt wrong, but he seemed like he was lying. His mind had something off of it. There was a block that kept me from his memories. I could hear what he was thinking—thinking about who I was—but I couldn't see his past. Someone had placed a block in it.

"That's weird," I said.

"I know," he replied.

"No, not that. Your memories, they're blocked. Someone blocked it from me," I said.

He looked at me with his eyebrows raised.

"Mind reader," I said pointing to myself.

"Nice," he broke out into a smile that could light up the whole city of Paris. "You could hear what I'm thinking of right now right?" I nodded, his smile widened.

"Do you remember anything?" I asked, hoping to get a little information about him past.

"No…" He lost his smile. "All I know is that I'm an enchanter. I woke up…near the Eiffel Tower and boarded that bus. I don't remember anything. Except that I knew how to speak French. And that I had been in Paris for days," he ran his hands through his hair. "When that vampire woman appeared, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I had done it before though, it all felt familiar," he said.

His eyes had dulled down to a darker shade of green, he looked so sad.

"Can you…try to remember?" I asked hopefully. _Why would someone block his memories and take them away?_ This guy wascreeping me out, but I also wanted to help him.

I looked back up at Alec; he had this look of concentration on. By the looks of his face he was trying to remember. He cried out in pain.

"Alec!" I pulled him to the side of s shop so we wouldn't bother any pedestrians. A couple of them were already swearing at us."What's wrong?"

"That always happens," he said.

"What does?" I hissed. He had his head in his hands.

"I've tried remembering," he grimaced. "And this," he pointed at his head. "Always happens."

I smacked his on his shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me?" I half screamed. "You could've died!"

He grinned, "I wouldn't have. I've tried it before remember?"

I rolled my eyes. He was sweating; he looked like he had just ran 5 miles. His blond hair was stuck to his forehead and a little damp. His eyes were back to their shade of bright green. "Do you need anything?"

"No," he was still grinning.

"Why are you still smiling?" I hissed.

"Nothing," he grinned and walked ahead.

I stood there like an idiot for about 2 seconds then ran to catch up to him. When I joined him, he once again grinned. I tried to read his mind, but he was trying to remember again.

"Stop that," I scolded him.

"What?"

"You're trying to remember again," I replied. "If you have that attack again, I'm not going back for you."

"Attack?" he asked chuckling.

"Whatever," I said walking ahead of him. He left me alone, but I knew he was following me a couple of feet back.

He was whistling casually, sometimes signing a couple of lines of _My Girl_. I ignored him, and looked around. I was just outside a store called Hermés. I was about to walk on, but a woman whisked past me and walked into the store.

She was wearing a coral peplum dress with skin toned 5 inch pumps. Upon her head sat diamond-encrusted Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses. She was carrying a light coral green purse. She had dark brown hair with ombré highlights. Her lips were full and curved. Her eyes were lined with a thin line of gold eyeliner. Her eyes were also _gold_—I was sure they weren't contacts.

I screamed, "Alec!" and ran into the store. Before I could get to the front doors, Alec was already there. He was holding the door open for me. I stood there looking up at him in astonishment. I'd never seen anyone move that fast—not even the Magi.

"What happened?" He asked, his face contorting in curiosity.

"Calithea, she's inside." I ran in, leaving Alec to follow.

I stopped and looked around; Calithea was already carrying 5 bags up to the register.

"Would you like anything else mademoiselle?" The attendant next to her asked.

She looked at a rack of scarves that were 50% off.

"I'll take the mint green one," she said in a melodious voice.

"Okay. It's not half off though, somebody must have misplaced it."

"I would like it half off," said Calithea.

"Ma'am, I'm not sure I can-"

"Give it to me, half off!" Calithea said, her voice losing its soft musical touch. I could've sworn she had morphed slightly bigger for a split second too.

"Anything for you miss," the attendant said with blank eyes. She rang up the scarves without even looking at them. "You can have them for free if you'd like."

"That would be excellent," Calithea replied in a smug voice, as she took the bag without handing over any cash.

She turned around, and almost walked right into Alec. She looked at him with a slightly surprised look on her face, but then when her eyes fell on me, an understanding look flitted across her golden eyes.

"Hello Alice," she said.

"Um…hey," I said, not quite sure of what to say. "That was pretty cheap what you did back there."

"Oh, you mean getting stuff for free? I do that all the time. There's no magic required when a guy is the one helping me," she said with a small smirk.

"I'm glad to know that you're helping out the stores," I said rolling my eyes. "Right Alec? Alec?"

I looked over at Alec, who had a dumb grin plastered over his face, as he was staring at Calithea.

"Alec. Alec!" I snapped, pinching him slightly.

"Wha-what?" he mumbled, trying to look at Calithea again.

"She is a _goddess_!" I snapped.

"So what?" Alec said, trying to sneak a peek at Calithea again over my shoulder. His eyes were glazed over.

"Alec, I regret doing this…" I said. I wound back my hand, and smacked him as hard as I could across the cheek.

"Ow!" he said, rubbing his cheek. "What was that for?"

He looked upset, but his eyes had lost their glaze, and his senses seemed to have returned to normal.

"I'm sorry about that," I said to Calithea as I turned around.

"No problem," she said with a wink. "Now let's go find somewhere comfortable to have a chat."

Calithea walked ahead of us in her high heels. She walked out of the store and down the street, carrying all of her shopping bags and acting like she owned the place. I few guys wolf whistled at her, and she ignored them, only giving a few winks out to some of the cuter boys. We finally made our way into a crowded café, where she found us a small table.

"Isn't this a bad spot for us to talk? I mean, a lot of people could over hear us," Alec pointed out.

"No, this is actually a perfect spot. The more people there are, the noisier it will be. Everybody will be too distracted to listen to us," Calithea said. She took off the dark brown sunglasses that had been perched on her head, and shook out her hair before putting them back in. Then she folded her hands on the table and looked me in the eyes, with her strange golden ones.

"Let me get straight to the point. I know you want my mirror. But...I'm a little reluctant to give it to you. You see, it's very special to me," Calithea said.

"But-" I protested.

Calithea held up a perfectly manicured hand, silencing me. "However, if you guys are willing to do an errand for me, I'll give you my mirror. Sound like a plan?"

I was about to agree, when Alec cut in. "What kind of errand?" he said suspiciously. "The gods aren't exactly known for being fair."

"And I'm a godd_ess,_" said Calithea with special emphasis. "I promise this won't be too hard. It's more of an inconvenience that I'd rather not go through. Besides, it's not even possible for me to give it to you without you doing this for me."

"Whatever," I said. "Just tell us what it is."

"Well, uh, my boyfriend and I broke up recently," Calithea began.

"Really?!" Alec interrupted. "You mean you're single!?"

Calithea responded with a pointed glare, and then continued on. "I already have a _new_ boyfriend. Anyways, that's not the point. The night I broke up with my old boyfriend, I accidently left my purse at his house as I stormed away and…I'm getting off track. That was my magic purse. You know, the magic purse of Calithea? Well, that has my magic mirror, my magic lipstick, and all of that stuff in it. I need you guys to sneak into his apartment, steal the purse, bring it back to me, and then I'll give you the mirror. Deal?"

Alec and I glanced at each other quickly, making a silent agreement. "Deal," I said, sticking out my hand and shakingCalithea's warm one.

"Deal," Alec repeated, sticking out his hand and takingCalithea's a little too eagerly. They shook, and he kept holding on. Calithea finally wrenched her hand away, and then told us where her boyfriend lived.

"He lives in the apartments a block away from here, on _Guerre_street," Calithea told us. "He lives in apartment 37, on the third floor. Be careful though, he has all sorts of defense mechanisms set up to keep me away…"

"Great," I said sarcastically.

Calithea rolled her eyes, and then shooed us away…

_…_

_Hey guys! Finally Chapter 8 is done! I had a little help from ArianaWeasly, she wrote the bottom half of this chapter!_

_Chapter 9 is in progress! _

_~Kat_

_…_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I stared up at the apartments in front of us. They looked very old, and were in a tall building squashed between a bakery on one side, and a hotel on the other. The building had that same old weathered look that most of the buildings in Paris had. Ornate carvings decorated the small balconies off of each apartment's window.

"Let's go," Alec said hastily, bolting for the doors.

"Wait!" I said. "Calithea said her boyfriend set up defense mechanisms against her. That means that whatever he set will be directed towards the approach that Calithea would take…and that would be going straight through the hallways and up to his room."

"Well what are we supposed to do? Scale the building?" Alec said, rolling his eyes.

"Exactly," I replied, with a small and slightly evil smile.

Alec's eyes bugged out, but he followed me as I went around to the back of the building.

"Let's see, so there are 10 rooms on each floor, which I've deducted from there being 5 balconies on each side," I began mumbling. "Evens on the street side, odds on the back side…5 windows on each side, meaning that room 37 is 2nd from the right, three stories up," I concluded, feeling pleased with myself.

"How did you just…" Alec trailed off.

"Years of practice with Coach," I replied.

"I don't even want to know who that is," Alec muttered under his breath, as I began to climb up the building. There were no bricks, but the carvings made for good handholds. I grabbed the inside of a lion's mouth, and stuck my foot on a vine. I made it up like that to the second story, and swung myself up onto one of the balconies so I could catch my breath for a second. I sat there, swinging my legs, and I looked down at Alec.

"You coming?" I called.

"No, I'm just going to stand down here and watch you do it," he said sarcastically.

"Fine with me," I said, standing up and beginning to climb again.

"Wait! I was joking! Wait up!" he called out frantically, as he began scrambling up the wall.

I rolled my eyes and kept on climbing, although slightly slower than I had before. My muscles started getting a little too tight. I made it to a 3rd story balcony with a few cramps on my arms and legs.

I waited for Alec to catch up to me. He was a long way before me, half way to the second story balcony. Figuring that he would take a few moments, I turned around and looked for room 37. I was one balcony to the left of it. I just had to cross over and then I'd be on it.

I turned around and was about to tell Alec that I was about to crossover. But before that happened, I stumbled into something. I stumbled into a pair of light-tan and muscled arms. I looked up at the person, hoping it wasn't the tenant of this apartment.

"Alec!" I said, the word coming out in a half surprised, half strangled breath. "What are you doing here? You were…all the way down there!" I pointed to where he was 3 seconds ago.

His laugh was his reply. I kept my eyes on him, but he moved incredibly fast and reappeared to the balcony next to us. I hastily followed after him. I hissed at him, "How do you move that fast?"

Alec kept his blinding grin and shrugged. Then he took out his wand and touched it to the sliding door that led into the apartment. The door opened with a click, but I ignored it.

"What are you not telling me?"

Alec greeted me with his grin. I silently groaned, _I needed to know what was wrong with him._

"You move incredible fast, and you're…" _Incredibly good-looking_, I thought, but didn't say. I felt my face flush, "Never mind that…It's just…"

He finished my question for me, "Why?"

I nodded. I tried to think about creatures that move fast. I gasped, "Please tell me you're not a vampire. If you are…tell me you're not one of those stupid ones like the vampires in Twilight. They…"

He laughed, "Sparkle in the sun?" I rolled my eyes. "I can't believe you thought that I was a bloodsucker!" He doubled over, choking on his laughter. I stared at him, putting my hand on my hips.

I grew tired of watching him laugh after a couple of seconds so I entered the apartment, not bothering to make sure if he was okay or not. I looked around. First I checked for any traps or monsters, using a handy trick Coach taught me—casting a type of light that exposes everything in its original form—exposing the material that was used to make the house, furniture, and everything else.

Luckily, there were no traps or monsters. The only traps were all placed near/on the front door.

I walked further into the house. The balcony led into the dining room, opening up to the living room and the kitchen. The furniture was sleek and modern. The couch was shaped like a box, but looked comfortable enough. The colors that filled the apartment were black, white, and gray. Like the colors of Paris at night.

Calithea's boyfriend wasn't home, probably searching for another girlfriend. I looked around for photographs or any sign for what this guy might look like. I wanted to know what a goddess of beauty's boyfriend will look like. _Probably very handsome_, I thought.

I felt a warm breath at my neck; I knew it was just Alec. "Look around for Calithea's purse," I told him.

I sensed a movement towards me, a gesture meant to grab me and pin me down. But I intercepted it and flipped over Alec. We came down on the floor with a loud thud. I had Alec pinned in the next second. _Or thought it was Alec._

I gasped, I meant to say something threatening, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was, "Uhhhh…."

"Who the hell are you?" He boomed, his chest rumbling.

He had dark brown hair and deep dark blue eyes. He had broad shoulders that were muscled, like the rest of him. He was probably six-feet tall, his head maybe touching the roof of the apartment.

"Who the _hell_ are you?" He repeated, taking a glass vase from the coffee table.

I moved fast and ducked when he threw the vase. There was a large crash when it hit the floor and shattered. I willed a chair to appear under him and for ropes to tie him onto it. I also willed a piece of fabric to appear in his mouth, for the purpose of gagging him because he was screaming, "Robber! Robber! A robber is in my house!" Over and over again.

If he knew what was best for him, he shouldn't have done that. If there were regular robbers in his house, he would've got shot by now.

"Hey! What happened…?" Alec asked, looking form the dark-haired guy to the shards on the floor, then to me. "Ahhhhh…"

In reply I said, "Just go look for the purse!"

I made the shards on the floor disappear and looked at the guy. He looked like he was no more than 20. "Okay. I know you think I'm a robber, which I am so not. So now you know I'm not, will you shut up? I can remove your gag, as long as you promise that you won't try and yell for help. Oh! And by the way, I won't hurt you, unless you're a monster," I flashed him a smile. "So are you going to shut up?"

I took his silence and nodding as a yes. I snapped my fingers and removed his gag. He spat on the floor, there were now red lines on his face, _the gag was on too tight_.

"Will you explain to me why you're here?"

"Oh, yeah. About that. I'm here with my friend," I gestured to where Alec was. "We're looking for Calithea's purse. Do you know where it is?"

"It's in my bedroom," he replied roughly.

"Oh, well, thank you! Alec! It's in the bedroom. Go search for it in there," I ordered him.

Alec mumbled something about me not helping him, but didn't argue. He went into the bedroom and searched for the purse.

I waited for Alec, not daring to leave the guy. There was a silence filling the space between us, so I asked, "What's your name?" Even though I already knew what it was, Jacob.

"Jacob," the guy replied. I nodded.

A few moments later, Alec came back. He had his hands on the bag. It was a gold pouch the size of a regular bag. His eyes were glazed over and he was holding the bag up to his nose. "Alec," I groaned. I walked up to him and slapped him, stirring him out of his hypnotization.

He let out a grunt and said, "You enjoy slapping me don't you?"

"Only at some times," I replied honestly. I smiled at him, enjoying his glare. I took the bag from him, keeping it away from his nose. _Only the men were hypnotized by Calithea. _

I checked for the items Calithea mentioned that was in her bag. All of her _magic _beauty supplies were in it. The magic mirror was at the very bottom of the bag. I took it out, and held it gingerly in my hands.

I heard of the power of this mirror. This mirror had the power to grant you anything. It could also take you anywhere in time.

It was beautiful. It was gold. It was carved with intricate details and images. The mirror had a handle that had Calithea's face carved onto it. It also had words printed in the gods' language, Ion.

I had the gift of reading the language. With Coach's help, I got better. On the mirror it said…

_For the goddess of beauty, love, charm, and luck. _

The mirror was crafted by the Cephs, beautiful skilled creatures that live in the Spirit World. Calithea's Cephs got taken away by Valdus—because she was using them too much—eons ago. Cephs are another form of Magi, but Cephs only work for the gods. Sometimes delivering messages, making weapons, or any jobs the gods are not able—or too lazy—to do.

"I got it," I said to Alec. I showed the mirror to Alec.

"Wow," was all he said.

I grinned and put the mirror back in the bag. "Thank you Jacob!" I walked back to the sliding door and turned around to wave to him.

"Aren't you going to untie him?" Asked Alec.

"Oh. Yeah," I snapped my fingers and made the stuff I used on Jacob to disappear. Once all of that was done, Jacob was sitting on the floor. "Sorry. You didn't say anything, Jacob. I forgot about that," I said.

Jacob asked, "Why did you need her purse?"

"She told us to retrieve it for her," I explained.

"And how do you make stuff disappear?"

I told him, "Were encha—"

Alec's hand clamped over my mouth, "You can't just tell anyone about us," he hissed.

I sent him a message telepathically. _I'll bite your hand if you don't let go_, I threatened.

"Yeah, well, I bet I taste pretty good," he grinned.

I bit his skin and spat outside, on Jacob's balcony. "You taste like the ocean," I complained.

"What did you think I would taste like? Something sweet? Cupcakes? Chocolate?" He grinned his lopsided grin.

I rolled my eyes. "No, I thought you would taste like sour gummy worms."

"Hello? I'm still here," said Jacob. "Stop flirting, you haven't answered my question."

I flushed; Alec kept a cool even face. "Right sorry. We're_ magicians_." I told Jacob, rolling my eyes at Alec's warning expression and his hovering hand. "Good enough reason? Yeah? Okay, bye Jacob! Thanks for helping!" I went out to the balcony after a small wave at Jacob.

"No, tell me—" Jacob's protests we blocked out when Alec closed the sliding door between us and Jacob.

"You know he could've told everyone about our kind?" Asked Alec a moment later.

"Yeah, but I'm about so cast a spell on him so he won't remember a thing," I told him.

"Let me," he said while I was muttering halfway of the spell. He opened the sliding door, waved his wand, and fired gold light at Jacob, who was pacing his kitchen. "There," he grinned. "Ready to go?" He asked moving to the edge of the balcony, getting ready to climb down.

I checked the contents of the bag, and said, "Yup. But I'm not climbing down with you." I said, startling Alec who was about to swing his legs over the railings.

"What are you going to jump off?" He asked playfully.

"Nope! I'm taking a vortex!"

"Only Magi can do that," Alec said.

"Noo," I said. I didn't close my eyes. I just I imagined the portal in front of me. Forming, taking shape. Then, in the next second, we were standing in front of a vortex. I grinned at Alec's stunned expression.

"Come on!" I said, taking his hand and jumping in…

…

_Chapter 9 is done!  
Chapter 10 is coming! Give me a week?_

_~Kat_

…


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Alec and I were spinning in gold powder and silver droplets. _I was back in the wormhole._

I couldn't close my eyes, it only made me dizzier. Alec's eyes were wide open, in surprise. I still hand Alec's hand in mine, I tried to let go, but he gripped me tighter. I heard his thoughts. _Don't let go, I might get stuck here or something. _

I talked to him out loud. I figured if I could breathe and not get gold powder in my mouth, I could open it and not choke on the powder. It surprised me I could breathe. Though Alec didn't know we could, he was holding his breath. "Breathe Alec, it's okay. You won't choke." I said, squeezing his hand.

Alec took my advice and took a deep breath. He at first had a surprised look on his face, and then he grinned at me. I smiled back, and then I told him, "Shush for a moment okay? I need to focus on where were going." He nodded before I closed my eyes.

I thought of the destination I wanted to go to. _Wherever Calithea was._ Moments later, the vortex opened up to a street. I looked at Alec, "Ready?"

Alec nodded, and squeezed my hand as a sign of reassurance. Though I didn't need reassuring, maybe he did. I then willed the vortex to spit us out.

We luckily landed not face flat on the ground—thank the gods—but standing in front of another café. It was the same café we met Calithea in, hours ago. I looked at where we sat before. There, Calithea was reading a _Vogue_ fashion magazine.

She looked up. "Finally," she said exasperatedly.

I gave the bag to her, "Here."

"Yay!" She checked the contents, "Everything's in here…Good!"

I demanded, "The Mirror?"

She pouted at me, "You know it's not nice to talk to goddesses like that?"

"You know—"

Alec clamped his hand over my mouth. He seemed to know what I was going to say. Nothing too pretty for a goddess of beauty. I heard his thoughts; _I'll take my hand off as long as you won't say a smartass reply to her._ _And apologize._

I rolled my eyes, _fine_, I told him telepathically.

"I'm _sorry_," my voice dripped with sarcasm.

Calithea apparently didn't get it and said, "Now, here's the mirror." She fished the mirror from her bag and handed it to me.

"Thank you," I said.

She waved her hands around, "Now go shoo! I need to read my magazine in silence!"

I turned around without a goodbye. Miraculously, Alec did the same. Without even a word uttered out of his mouth as goodbye for Calithea.

Instead he asked, "Where are we going now?"

I held the Mirror protectively in my hand. I kept walking, looking for a spot to summon another vortex. I went into a space between two brown buildings. "We are going to…the Head's palace."

"Where's that?"

"You'll see," I said worriedly. _I didn't want to go back to the Head's palace._ I summoned another vortex. It appeared quickly than the other times I've summoned it.

"After you," Alec said. He swept his hand, gesturing me to step into the vortex first.

. . .

"Puh-lease," I said as I laughed. I pushed him into the vortex. I meant to step in after him, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me in after him.

We arrived back in the gold room. Standing before us was the Head Magi. I bowed down, Alec followed.

"Je vois que vous êtes de retour," the Head said. _I see you're back._

"Oui," I replied.

"Vous avez le miroir?" The Head Magi asked, his voice filling with curiosity. _You have the mirror?_

"Oui," I replied.

The Head Magi had a surprised look in his face, and then he turned his face back into a mask. He held his hands out; I walked up and placed the mirror in his hands. He then handed the mirror to one of his attendants.

The Head Magi then turned his head towards Alec.

"Et qui êtes-vous?" His voice spoke softly in my head and Alec's head too. _And who are you?_

"Alec," he replied defiantly. I could tell he was nervous, but he stood proud and tall, his green eyes crackling.

"What is your last name?" Inquired the Head, he had switched into English.

I saw beads of sweat fall down Alec's brow, as he scrunched up his face in concentration.

"Alec…" I warned.

The Magus with orange eyes said, "Let him try."

Alec collapsed on the floor and began breathing shallow breaths.

"Alec!" I kneeled over him and helped him up.

"I don't know," he managed to gasp out.

The Magi around me exchanged shocked looks, but the Head looked interested.

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully, "Does the name Bane ring a bell?"

A look of realization crossed over Alec's face, and was then replace by a dark look. "Yes…it does."

The Magi around me suddenly looked very fearful, and backed away slowly. I myself was trying to figure out why I recognized the name Bane. _Bane,_ I thought. _Bane, Bane, Bane…Alaric! Alaric Bane!_

"Very good," murmured the head Magi.

"Do you mean…" I said, backing away from Alec, "That he… he's…Alaric Bane's…"

"Yes," the Head replied.

Alec looked confused. "Who's Alaric Bane?" he asked.

"I can see there is a block in your mind…Let me break it, and show you," said the head Magi.

He snapped his fingers, and Alec and I blacked out...

. . .

The world was a heavy black that was weighing on my chest like an elephant._ I was inside Alec's mind, but this time, instead of just reading it, I was living it. _Is this what he felt like every day? It felt terrible.

_A loud bang sounded, and small golden shards flew around me. Some even went right through me, but I couldn't feel a thing. The sudden weight lifted, and the darkness left. The head Magi had broken the barrier in Alec's mind._

_A whirl of colors rushed towards me, and all of a sudden I was spinning around at a sickening speed. I landed on the ground with a hard thump. I was in a ballroom of what looked like a large castle. People were wearing masks all around me, and dancing with each other. _Is this what formal dances looked like a long time ago?

_A tall, middle aged man with an eagle mask on walked towards me. He wore a finely tailored blue suit and a slightly smug expression on his face. He seemed to be looking right into my eyes. _I panicked, and tried to find a spot to hide. There was nothing._ I stood there as the man came up to me, and I waited for him to speak. As he got closer, I kept expecting him to stop, but he just kept on walking and walking. Then he passed right through me. It felt like I had just been plunged in a bucket of ice water._

_I gasped and turned around. A sudden urge for me to follow him had appeared. He was walking out into the gardens. The gardens…Wow. They were rows upon rows of tall, dark green hedges. _Whoever owned this place had some money.

_I ran out the French doors, trying to keep up with the man's fast pace. I felt what would have been a cool breeze pass through the maze of hedges, but I couldn't feel the temperature of it. _It was weird how only some things I could feel, and others I couldn't.

_The man walked through the maze without hesitation. _He must come here a lot._ I followed him, even having to run at times just so I wouldn't lose sight of him. He turned a final corner, and so did I. We came out into a clearing, which was probably the center of the maze. Here, a large statue of an eagle stood, and blue and white flowers sprung up everywhere. There was even a small fountain, with a weird hunchback statue on it._

_The statue suddenly moved, and I gasped out loud. It wasn't a statue, it was a man._

"_Good evening Bane," said the hunchback. _

_I gasped again even louder as the man I had been following took off his eagle mask. It was Alaric Bane, the most evil god of all time. He had graying hair, and striking green eyes. He looked more normal than I would have thought the god of evil could be. _

"_Good evening Zorack. Any news?" Bane asked in an ice-cold voice. _I had a feeling he talked like this to everyone.

"_No. Nice place you have here," said the hunchback, Zorack. He patted the marble side of the fountain he was sitting on._

That meant that Bane owned this place…How had he kept such a large castle hidden away from everybody else? We had been searching for him for some time.

It had all started a while ago, during the creation of the gods. The gods all had been given birth to by Calithea, at the Eiffel tower. Each one was meant to have their own section of the world to look after. Calithea and her husband, Ariston, had been getting too busy trying to look over the world, and fight the demons, so they had decided to have children to end the struggle.

Calithea then gave birth to the four main gods, who could then go on to have their own children. Valdus was the eldest. He looked after the sky and controlled the winds. Pelagios was the second born. He looked over the water. Narcan was born third. He controlled the ground. Then, Anan was born fourth. Anan was Alaric's original name. Anan was meant to control, or look after the fire in the world.

The problem was, the three eldest brothers did their jobs too well. Valdus made sure there were no storms, hurricanes, or tornados. He made it rain enough for crops, but not so much that there was flooding. Pelagios controlled the water. The water was safe for drinking, and it was always there for those who needed it. Narcan prevented earthquakes. He also provided fertile land for everyone, and created plants or any other feature of the earth if it was needed. Because of all this, there were no fires. Valdus blew the fires away before Anan could maintain it. Pelagios doused the fires in water before Anan could reach them. Narcan had the earth open up and swallow the fire before Anan could control it.

Anan grew mad, and then created his own fire. It was the largest and most destructive fire of all, and it killed thousands of people. It was as fast as an eagle, and knew exactly where to target, so it could hit all of Anan's brother's weak spots.

Valdus, Pelagios, and Narcan grew mad that Anan had killed so many people and disrupted the peace of the world, so they tried to banish him to the depths of the earth. When they came for him, Anan threw them a cheerful grin, and exploded into flames. His brothers gagged on and were blinded by smoke, and when they could finally see and breath, Anan was gone.

They thought he had killed himself. They were wrong. Anan had somehow disappeared altogether. He got rumors started about where he was hiding, and he let it be known of his new and evil name, Alaric Bane. Nobody knew what he was planning. Nobody still does.

_I exhaled fast. Bane was right here, plotting his unknown revenge. I could figure it out! I could—_

"_There is nothing new, Bane," said Zorack suddenly._

_Bane sighed in disappointment. "You mean they still haven't found me?" he asked._

"_No," answered Zorack._

_Alaric protested, "But I put myself in the most obvious spot! There is no way they could not find me and Alec!"_

Alec…this was the first time Bane had mentioned him.

"_Ah," said Zorack. "Sometimes the best hiding spots are the ones where you are most likely to be found."_

"_But I need them to find Alec! I didn't waste my time on a son for nothing! Once a god has a son, they cannot be banished!"_

My jaw dropped. Bane had only had a son, just so he couldn't be banished. He was a lot smarter than I had credited him for.

_Somebody else seemed to figure this out too, for the hedges next to Bane began to rustle. A boy with blonde hair and green eyes jumped out of them. He wore a fine black suit, and looked more dressed up than I could have imagined._

"_Alec!" gasped Zorack._

"_Yes Alec, who did you think my son was?" asked Bane._

"_No, Alec. He's behind you!"_

_Bane turned around, and Alec was there, staring at him with the most hatred I had ever seen in somebody. His eyes crackled, fire had erupted in his green eyes._

"_Why didn't you tell me?" he asked shakily._

"_What—" started Bane._

"_Why didn't you tell me?!" Alec repeated, shouting this time._

"_Alec…I was going to, but I just needed you to—"_

"_To protect yourself!" Alec shouted. "All you needed me for was to save your own sorry ass. You're a coward…I should've realized that before. You're a coward!"_

"_Alec, I—"_

"_You are a coward. And you know it."_

_Bane got quiet suddenly. "Yes. I am," he admitted. "That is why I had you."_

"_No, that isn't!" Argued Alec, "You only wanted a son for the protection of having one! You don't even like me! I don't even know who my mother is!" Alec cried out, "I don't even want to be evil, like you!"_

"_That's it," Bane said, his face turning red with anger. "I don't need you for my protection." He masked his face into a cool and even emotion. "You can leave. Right here. Right now. And I will be fine."_

"_Fine!" shouted Alec._

"_Good-bye Alec," Bane said with a strange look in his eye._

_A streak of fire flew out of his palm and hit Alec in the forehead. A strange blank looked fell over Alec's face. _The mind block._ Bane snapped his fingers, and Alec disappeared, presumably he was on the bus now, where he met me._

_Bane turned to Zorack shakily. "Do you think it is ok? Alec not knowing who his mother is, I mean?"_

_Zorack looked at him with an odd look on his face. "You are a coward," Zorack replied._

_With that, Zorack stood up, and stomped on the ground. A ripple went out beneath his foot, and it knocked Bane off of his feet. He lay on the ground, breathing hard._

"_You see," Zorack said, "That even if you're hiding where hardly anyone can find you, there's always somebody who's willing to tell the gods where you are."_

_Bane looked up at Zorack eminently. "You will not," he said forcefully._

"_No, I will not," said Zorack with a small smile. "I'm on your side. I just wanted to show you that others have power too."_

. . .

The coldness of the ground startled me, and I came back out of the memory.

"Welcome Alec," said the head Magi, "Son of Bane."

…

_Ooh! None of you saw that coming did you?_

_Chapter 10 got done fast!  
It's because ArianaWeasly prewritten the bottom part.  
Credits to her!_

_Chapter 11 is coming!  
Give me a week?_

_~Kat_

…


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The Head studied Alec in silence. People around us backed away from Alec, thinking Alec was capable of using the power his father has.

Alec stood there bravely. I stood beside him.

I had no reason to run away from him. Alec had showed that he wanted no connection to Bane, and I believe him. He showed enough to make me believe that he wasn't a spy for Bane. But apparently the Head did not believe him because I heard his plans for Alec.

He plans to take Alec away and lock him up in the Lithium—a jail made for criminals in our world. Lithium is another version of the Abysm that the Leviathans are kept in, except Lithium is not quite as powerful.

I made sure my mind was now sealed from the Head, like what I had done before. I then took Alec's hand and squeezed it, a habit now starting. I could now see his aura, it was a dark brown—a sign of anticipation and nervousness. I heard more of his thoughts through the touch.

_He wants to take me away doesn't he?_ Asks Alec silently, through our touch.

_Yeah, but I have a plan._ _You in?_ I asked.

Alec moved his head a fraction of an inch, a tiny nod. I took that as a yes and said silently, _Knock out everyone to sleep the second time I squeeze you hand._

_Okay,_ Alec replied.

I waited for the Head to speak, but he didn't. With a wave of his hand—a sign for Alec to be taken away—the Magus around us surged up to take Alec. At the same time the Head nodded, I squeezed Alec's hand. In seconds, everyone was asleep, including the Head.

I cast another spell on everyone, making them fall into unconsciousness. I let go of Alec's hand and ran up to the dais, where the Head Magi was seated on his golden throne.

"What are you doing?!" Alec asked. "We're supposed to be getting out of here!"

"I need to get my book!" I replied, touching my hand onto the Head Magi's forehead. _I needed to search in his mind to find out where my book was._

There were many thoughts in his mind. Most were personal, others were about superiority. In his mind I saw what he was planning to do with the Mirror—use it against the gods in a rebellion he was starting.

I gasped right when Alec appeared next to me and stood there. "What's wrong?" He asked sounding very concerned. A moment later he added, "Startled by my good looks again?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Tell you later. Just shush." I needed to find out what the Head was planning.

Alec stood there, studying me. I closed my eyes; I couldn't focus when he was looking at me like that.

Unfortunately, the Head didn't have a plan for his "rebellion," so I went on looking for where the book was located.

I finally found the location where the book was hidden—in the Head's robe—when Alec said, "Is this it?"

I opened my eyes and looked at the object in his hand. "You found that in his robe didn't you?"

"Yup," he replied. "This is it right?" I nodded. "It doesn't look much," Alec said after a second.

"Well, it is much. It's what's going to lead me to the next step in my quest," I replied knowingly.

"Well now we've found it, where to miss?"

I raised my eyebrows at him, "You want me to teach you how to summon a vortex, don't you?" Alec replied with a grin. "Well, before that, we need to find where the Mirror is," I said.

Alec raised his eyebrows at me, "Why? The Head's planning to wish for faeries from the Mirror?" He suggested sarcastically, finishing off with his lopsided grin that I was now familiar with.

I groaned, "No! But he's planning a rebellion." I took his hand and laid it on the Head's forehead. I showed him the Head's thoughts.

Alec had a thoughtful look on his face and then he went back to the Head's robe and pulled the Mirror out. "He really should find better hiding spots for these," he said with a grin. I couldn't help but grin too. Alec handed me the Mirror and said, "Vortex time?"

I laughed, "Okay…Close your eyes and imagine it forming in front of you."

"I don't know what it's supposed to look like," he said.

I took his hand—I seem to be doing that a lot—and showed him, what the vortex looked like. "You got it?" He nodded in reply. "Imagine it taking form in front of you. Piece by piece until you feel that its completed," I instructed him.

He closed his eyes and followed my instructions. It took only a couple of seconds for him to open up a portal. _Quicker than the first time I tried to do it._ _It was probably because he was Bane's son. _The thought made me have a tiny tremor go down my spine, but I tried ignoring it. _Alec seemed to want to connection to Bane, hadn't he?_

Alec tapped me lightly on the shoulder, stirring me out of my reverie and making me jump.

I smiled at him enthusiastically, pretending that I hadn't had a blank look on my face moments ago. He was about to say something—I didn't know what because my mind was elsewhere—but I cut him off saying, "That was really good. You made it appear quicker than I had the first time."

He looked like he was going to say something—_Thanks, I couldn't have done it without you,_ he thought—but he quickly changed his mind and said, "I knew I did good," with a hint of arrogance in his voice.

I rolled my eyes again—another habit forming—Alec noticed me rolling my eyes again and said, "Your eyeballs might break if you keep rolling your eyes like that."

"Well, it's because of you isn't it?"

Alec raised his eyebrows, "So if your eyeballs fall out, it's because of me?"

"No Alec, it's because of me," I said my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because I'm the one who controls my eyeballs and I just have the habit of rolling my eyes _before_ you make your smart ass comments."

I worried that my retort might tick him off and make his lopsided smile—one that I'd grown to like—disappear from his face. But his smile grew wider as he said, "I'm glad you agree with me."

I tried with all my strength not to roll my eyes; Alec laughed and jumped into the vortex.

I tried to jump in after him, but the Head kept me from doing that. He was awake and had my leg in a steel grip. The other Magus had stirred too, forming a semi circle around me and the vortex.

The Head ordered, "Lui tirer dessus!" _Shoot her!_

I only had time to fire blue light at the Head before another Magi's light hit me and knocked me to the ground.

The vortex was slowly closing, fading. I jumped into the vortex, getting surrounded by gold dust and floating silver bubbles. Hoping the vortex would close before any of the Magi could follow us, but before that could happen, a shiny silver light—meant to knock me out for a long, _long_ time—made it through the tiny hole left as an opening and hit me.

...

_Ooh, Alice seems like she'll be knocked out quite a long time…_

_Thanks for reading! I'll have the next chapter up next…Thursday?  
Or maybe sooner!_

_Review and please tell people about this story!_

_~Kat_

_..._


	12. Chapter 12

…

_Okay guys! There's Russian in this, so if you want to imagine how they sound like, I put it in the gray text. Or you can type in the text at Google Translate and then hit the 'sound' button._

_I thought it'd be really cool for Russian to be in this, so I put it in.  
It took me longer to write the chapter, but it's worth it!_

_~Kat_

…

**Chapter 12**

I woke up groggily to the sound of a guitar being casually strummed. I looked around; everything was blurry and was the shade of purple. The walls, wooden floor, curtains, bed sheets, and door, was purple. The only thing that wasn't purple the guy who had blond hair and was wearing a gray long sleeved tee and jeans. He sat in a—purple—chair strumming a normal colored guitar.

"Alec," my voice came out in a strangled-raspy sound. He looked up at me; the light was gone from his eyes. It was filled with desperateness and…_longing?_ Under his eyes were gray bags, indicating that he hadn't slept for almost a week.

"Alec," I said again. The second his eyes looked into mine, relief flooded back into his eyes. Along with a mixture of alarm and surprise.

"You're awake!" He exclaimed, dropping the guitar on the floor. It landed with a loud thump. He came up to me, about to touch my face when the door burst open.

"Hey!" The boy said with alarm and anger. "Как долго она проснулась? Я сказал вам, чтобы сделать ее напиток красного вина, сразу после она проснулась!" Kak dolgo ona prosnulasʹ? YA skazal vam , chtoby zastavitʹ yeye pitʹ vino srazu posle ona prosnulasʹ ! The boy continued at the same tone he used as before, only speaking in Russian. _How long was she awake? I told you to make her drink the wine right after she woke up!_

Alec asked confusedly, "What?" He continued, "Dude, I told you to speak in _English_."

I momentarily forgot about Alec and replied, "Простите?" Prostite? I spoke back in Russian. _Excuse me?_ Despite the fact that my throat—and everything else—hurts, I didn't like how he was yelling at Alec.

"Знаете ли вы сказать, что я должен был выпить красного вина?" Znayete li vy skazatʹ, chto ya dolzhen byl vypitʹ krasnogo vina ? _Did you say I had to drink red wine? _I continued, my voice rising a few octaves, though ensuring that I was not screaming at the boy. "Потому что я пробовал, что и раньше, и это не так уж хорошо. Плюс, я не так много пьющего." Potomu chto ya proboval, chto i ranʹshe, i eto ne tak uzh khorosho. Plyus, ya ne tak mnogopʹyushchego. _Because I've tried that before, and it isn't that good. Plus, I'm not much of a drinker._

"Нет, вино, чтобы исцелить вас." Net,vino , chtoby istselitʹ vas . The boy explained to me. _No, the wine is supposed to heal you._

I heard his thoughts; the wine really was to help me heal. "Алек, руку мне чашку, пожалуйста." Alek, ruku mne chashku , pozhaluysta. _Alec, hand me the cup please._

Alec looked both of us with a stunned expression. Then he realized I was speaking to him and said, "What?"

"Sorry," I apologized. "I didn't mean to speak in Russian. Can you hand me the cup?"

Alec looked into the cup and sniffed it before handing it reluctantly to me.

"I told you not to sniff it. It's made especially for her," the boy said.

Alec said, "Sorry," before urging me to drink the mixture.

I slowly put it up to my lips, it tasted sweet. The 'wine,' wasn't really wine. It was sweet, unlike what I sipped on before. Tart-sweet, but sour.

The wine the boy made for me tasted like the hot chocolate my mother used to make. At that thought, I felt like a boulder hit me in my stomach. I mentally scorned myself for thinking like that. _The past is the past. Nothing can change it, _she once said. It was the past, and I can't save her. Not after what happened and my world seemed to flip.

I choked on the 'wine,' as the boy called it. At an instant, Alec was beside me, making sure I was okay. HIs shoulder against mine, sending my waves of heat, his temperature was warm. He didn't seem to notice it, because he was waiting impatiently for my answer. I numbly nodded in reply. I looked up at the boy; he stood near the door with his eyebrows raised.

I focused on the drink, and ignored my stomach. Which was now lurching and spinning—not because of Alec—because of the memory of my mother. All too soon I had drank it all. Down to the last drop.

"Didn't save any for me?" Alec asked amusingly when I was looking sadly into the cup.

I smiled, "No. You wanted some?"

He laughed, "Yea. But I wasn't allowed to have any," he motioned to the boy. He was standing by the door, looking at us.

I looked at him, trying to really see what he looked like. Earlier I hadn't bothered to notice his appearance because I was too busy arguing with him.

He was probably Alec and I's age. He was young, about 16 or 17 at the most. He had a light skin color and had angular features. But not angular enough so he wasn't pleasant to look at. He had orange colored eyes, which was surrounded with a thin line of blue eyeliner. He had his hair—a dyed black color—spiked up, with light brown and neon blue highlights in them.

He looked like was about to stomp on people. He was wearing a purple—no surprise there—long sleeved top which was tucked into his black pants. It was probably unhealthy to wear those pants because they were very tight. _I was surprised his pants weren't illegal. _He also had on a black leather jacket, matching his shoes.

"Cпасибо." Spasibo. _Thank you_, I said.

"You don't need to speak in Russian doll," said the boy.

"I told you not to call her that," Alec interjected. "'Doll' has a name you know."

"Alice, I know." The boy said before I could introduce myself. "Алиса." Alisa, the boy said again in Russian. "I like that," he sat down on the foot of the bed. "Anyways, no need to thank me _Alice_," he emphasized my name, shooting Alec an annoyed look. Alec ignored him, looking at me intently. As if he was expecting me to explode.

I nodded, "Alec." He didn't show any signs of response so I said, "Alec!" Louder this time, as I snapped my finger in front of his face.

"What?"

I asked him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like I'm about to transform into a unicorn of something."

"He was—"

Alec interrupted with, "Amon…"

Amon shot an annoyed look at Alec and continued, "Waiting for you to wake up," replied Amon.

"Why? I was only out for a couple of hours right?"

Amon looked at me blankly, while Alec looked horrified. "No," Amon said. "You were out for a—"

"Week," Alec finished. He was looking sickly.

"A week?" I asked breathlessly.

"We thought you were dead," said Amon.

"You thought she was dead," Alec said in an accusing tone. "I didn't."

"You didn't let me finish …I thought you were dead," he pointed a finger at me, "when I first glanced at you. You were out for so long that your _дух_," dukh._ Spirit, _"had almost crossed. Good thing—"

I held up a hand to stop him, "Wait. Wait. I want to hear it from the beginning from Alec. Then let's hear your version. Because I'm confused," I admitted.

Amon nodded in agreement.

Alec added, "And can we go get to eat something?"

I cracked a smile, and got up to follow Amon who was moving towards the bedroom door.

Alec and I walked behind Amon silently. I was surprised to find that his house was normally colored throughout. We walked out to a den and walked down a set of stairs. The stairs led down to the front door and living room. Alec and I sat in Amon's couch, facing a large flat screen TV, and our backs to the dining room and kitchen.

I asked, "Why was the room I was in purple?"

Amon was busily talking to someone on the phone in the kitchen, not hearing me.

"It was supposed to keep your 'spirit attached to your body and mind relaxed.'" Alec said, it a mocking tone. He was probably quoting from what Amon had said earlier. "It did the opposite didn't it?" He asked me, with a grin on his face.

I nodded, "Well, about the mind part. That color did the _complete_ opposite. I thought the 'relaxing' color was supposed to be green?"

Alec shrugged as Amon said, "What do you guys want? This restaurant can make absolutely _anything_."

I got the feeling he said that compliment just for the girl we was taking to at the other end of the phone. Yet, I knew he wasn't lying.

"I don't know…Food?' Alec suggested unhelpfully.

"Can you tell them to make me fries? One that tastes like the ones McDonalds make," I requested.

"That's not healthy," Amon said.

Alec asked, "Food?"

"No, the fries," Amon said.

A series of high chattering sounds came from the phone. "Sorry darling," Amos said before rattling off our orders.

I sat in silence, not knowing what to ask Alec. A little chiming sound came from the door. Amon disappeared from the kitchen answered it with a, "Hello." He stayed there for a minute, talking to the deliverer. Alec got impatient and stood up, finding his way to the door. I followed him.

At the door was a girl with pixie-like features. She had pointed ears and big hazel eyes. She had unnaturally blue hair. She was wearing a leaf-green tinted dress. I noticed that she _was_ a pixie. Amon was making small talk with her. In response, she launched off into a series of high pitched giggles.

I covered my ears and looked at Alec, he had done the same. "Amon?" I asked, "Is the food ready?"

Amon shot me an annoyed look and handed me the plastic bag that contained our food. The pixie's face was contorted with a look of disgust. She was pointedly looking at me. I raised my eyebrows at her and said, "What's your problem?"

She made a little _hmph_ sound and walked off. Amon called out, "Hey! You still wanna have dinner?"

The pixie didn't turn around to response to Amon, and then she disappeared into a puff of green sparkly dust.

Amon muttered, "_Pixies_," and took the bag from my hands and walked off to the kitchen.

I asked, "I didn't do anything did I?" I put up my hand and said, "Wait, no. Don't answer that."

Alec shrugged, "Dinner?"

I nodded and walked back into the kitchen. We found the food spread out on the table with dinnerware arranged with it. Amon was sitting on the couch, looking up at the flat screen tv, with a plate of food in his lap.

I sat down next to him; he offered me a food-filled smile. "Ew," I said. "Close your mouth."

Amon chuckled and said, "So…we're starting with Alec." He motioned for Alec to start.

Alec slowly tried to swallow the food in his mouth before beginning. "Okay, so this is what happened…"

…

_What do you guys think of Amon? _

_I couldn't think of another name, so I went to a name website._

_I wanted a name from the 1800's (for a guy who's pretty young, I know) and I came across a couple of good names like Charles and William but I decided to use it for another character later on (spoiler!). And Charlie, James, and Riley and Mason…Then I came across on Amon, and I thought that it was perfect!_

_Note that…  
—The new character wouldn't come on for about 5 -8 more chapters—  
—And I was thinking that the character would be another companion for Alice and Alec—_

_Anyways, please review and share this story! If I have any new readers please mention yourself by commenting/PM-ing so I can take a look at your stories and give feedback!_

_Thanks for reading!  
I will have the next chapter done by next week…hopefully!_

_~Kat_

…


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Alec took a deep breath before beginning. "I saw you fight the Head and the other Magi. I tried to help you, but I couldn't get out of the portal. It was like…something was pulling me in and kept me there. But it wasn't like that…I could help you but a…." Alec looked questioningly at Amon and asked, "Should I tell her?"

"I guess…She deserves to know everything."

Alec replied with, "But she'll think it's weird."

Amon shrugged, "Up to you."

"What do you want to not tell me?"

"A voice held me back," he said uncertainly. He looked at the floor with a small smile. He was thinking, _I can't believe I just said that._ "When I was watching you…there was this voice and it was telling me that one day I couldn't save you. The time when you needed—" He was about to say _me_, but then changed his mind. He cut himself off and then said, "When you needed help the most. When I decided that I was going to ignore the voice, I was about to help you. But it was too late." He averted his eyes from me. "I just had enough time to watch you get hit by the light."

He let a couple of seconds pass. I was afraid that he wasn't going to talk but he took a deep breath and said, "The vortex spit us out here, at the National Library in Athens. I tried waking you up, but you were—"

"Seriously knocked out," Amon chipped in.

"Yeah, and then I went into the library to set you down. I tried finding someone to help you, but I knew it was useless because only Augurs can heal you. Luckily—"

"He met me! The most—"

"I thought I was telling the story?" Alec asked. Amon waved his hand around, letting Alec continue. "When I was looking around in the library, I noticed that something was wrong with his aura," he motioned at Amon.

"I prefer, _propitious_."

Alec ignored Amon and continued, "That's when I knew he was an Augur. I carried you to him and asked if he could help us. And you," he pointed an accusing finger at Amon. "Said, '_No. I can't help her. I'm pretty sure she's dead,'_ and then walked away. But I—"

"Didn't quit and kept following me around like a hungry puppy—"

"A lion," Alec cut in.

"Finally, I agreed to help him and I brought you guys here," Amon motioned proudly around his house.

"You guys sound like a married couple," I said out of the blue.

"Were you even listening to the story?" The both asked me simultaneously.

They looked at each other and then Alec said, "We _do_ sound like a married couple."

"Except we're not gay," Amon said. "Well, I know I'm not gay. What about you Alec? Are you—"

"Wait, you're not gay?" asked Alec.

Amon looked at Alec with raised eyebrows. Alec put his hands up. "Hey, you're the one wearing those pants and—"

I started laughing, "Alec, you don't ask people that."

"And you don't insult people about their fashion sense," Amon said.

"And Amon, I'm pretty sure Alec isn't gay. If he is, he's got a lot of explaining to do. You aren't—"

"No Alice, I'm not," Alec replied. Then a second later he added, "Making sure you get a chance with me?" with a smile.

I blushed, not knowing why. "Okay, let's get back to what happened to me. And not what your or your," I pointed at Amon and Alec, "genders are. So, Alec continue please."

Alec looked at me thoughtfully, "its Amon's turn."

"When I brought you guys here, I took a better look at you."

I raised my eyebrows, _"Got a better look at me?"_

I looked at Amon, then at Alec—who was trying not to laugh—then back at Amon.

"_To understand what happened to you_," Amon explained. "There are prettier pixies than you."

"Really? They're prettier with those pointed ears and high-flute laughs?"

"Yeah. You know, I had a pixie-girlfriend once, Nellie. She—"

"Let me guess," I said. "She was pretty, but every time she laughed, you had to plug your ears."

"I—"

Alec grinned, "You told me about her a couple of days ago! Amon wouldn't try to make her laugh at all. He would—"

Amon turned the tables against Alec, "Even if I tried to 'get a better look at you,' Alec wouldn't have let me. Wouldn't you Alec?"

Alec waved off the question and said, "We're getting off track."

Amon laughed, "I knew it."

Alec raised his eyebrows, "Knew what?"

"We're not getting anywhere guys," I said. I waved my hand, "Go on Amon."

Amon said, "My pleasure," and went on with, "where were we?"

I thought a minute, "I think you were telling me about 'taking a better look at me.'"

"Ah, yes. Anyways, when I did that, I found out that the spell that the Magus cast on you could last for years. At the minimum, months. Like Sleeping Beauty."

"But I didn't get woken up by a kiss," I reminded him.

"Oh?" He asked, the question pointed at Alec.

"Left her alone," said Alec with his hands up.

Amon smirked, "You sure?"

I pouted, "I think I would know."

"Would you?" Alec asked questioningly.

"Shut up and let Amon continue," I said frustratingly.

"I was really surprised that you woke up just after a week," said Amon. "When I found Alec staring at you—doing nothing—I had to scream at him so he would move and hand you the drink."

Alec asked, "What _was_ in the wine?"

"Mint, cinnamon, spices, herbs, crushed magical stones, Betony, Belladonna, and Calea Zacatechini. There's much more, that's only some of them. Would you like to know all of them?"

I ignored his question and asked him, "Isn't belladonna dangerous?"

"It is when you don't know how to use it properly," Amon smiled crookedly.

I asked, "What's Calea Za-ca-tech-ini?"

"It's supposed to keep you from dreaming unpleasantly," Amon explained.

"What about Betony?"

Amon sighed, "Would you like me to tell you all the ingredients and explain what each one does, or tell you about what happened?"

"Tell us the ingredients," said Alec.

Amon rolled his eyes, "I was talking to Alice."

"Yeah, but I want to know the ingredients," said Alec.

"Edelweiss, Elderberry, Heliotrope, Rooibos, Garden Myrrh, Yew, Stevia, False Unicorn—"

Alec laughed, "False Unicorn? What does that do?"

Amon looked at him darkly, "You don't want to know."

I was suddenly very alarmed, so was Alec. "IS IT POISONOUS?"

Amon frowned, "Why would I put poison in it?"

"Well, you didn't want to help her before," said Alec.

Amon shot Alec a look and continued to rattle off more ingredients. "Geranium, Eclipta, Damiana, Golden Root, Goats Rue…"

Amon kept reciting ingredients. Finally Alec had enough and put his hand up, "Dude, I was interested for the first 5 minutes, but now I'm not."

"I'm about done actually. The last ingredient is Deadnettle."

"Deadnettle? That sounds like poison," I said worriedly.

"Will you stop with the poison questions? One day I might just put it in your tea," said Amon exasperatedly.

"I'd never drink tea. I hate tea," I muttered. "It makes me feel like an old lady."

Amon pouted, "I have a cabinet full of tea in my kitchen."

"Well, don't expect me going through it," I said.

"I like tea," Alec said.

"Ew," I replied.

"Don't insult my love for tea," Amon said pointing a finger at me. He got up and started walking.

"Where are you going? We're not done yet, are we?" I asked.

"No, but close to done. And I'm about to make myself some tea."

"I want some," said Alec.

"That's why I didn't ask you, I didn't feel like making another cup."

"But you are making me some right?" asked Alec hopefully.

Amon nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. Alec and I sat in silence. I felt like I needed to break the silence so I said, "How could you like tea?"

"It makes me feel like the Queen," replied Alec with a lazy smile.

I laughed, "You wish."

"Who wishes what?" asked Amon, coming back into the living room. He handed Alec the tea in a ceramic white cup.

"Alec wishes that he was having tea with the Queen," I said.

He grinned at me, and then inhaled the scent of the tea he had gotten. "This smells good. Smell it," Alec nudged the cup at me.

"No," I replied.

"Come on, just a little sniff."

I gave in and sniffed the tea. It _did_ smell good. Seeing the look on my face Alec laughed, "You like it don't you?"

I smiled, "You win."

Alec offered his cup, "You want some?"

"I don't know…later I guess. Save me some?"

Alec nodded and took a sip. "Where do you get this?"

"Nowhere, secret family recipe."

"Tell me how to make it," said Alec.

I said, "It's a _secret_, Alec."

Amon nodded and sipped his tea before saying, "Where were we?"

"You just finished telling us the ingredients," Alec suggested.

Amon nodded, "Yeah, before that though?"

"Um," I thought for a second. "You were telling me how you had to scream at Alec so he would move."

"Oh!" Amon laughed, "Yeah. Okay, so after that…well you know the rest. You were already awake."

I nodded, "Do you know why I woke up so quickly?"

Amon looked at me for a moment. He seemed to be debating to himself whether he would tell me what he was found out. It just dawned on me that I couldn't hear his thoughts. Before I could ask why, he said, "You have different blood in your system. You seem to be related to one of the gods."

"_I what?"_

Amon nodded, looking at me then Alec, who had a dumbstruck expression like me. "I've seen the blood of the gods, serum. Silver, very shiny…"

"_Are you sure?"_

"I'm…pretty sure. I mean, I saw some serum in your blood…So you must be related."

"How did you find out?" Alec asked.

"When I was looking at Alice, you saw that I did a spell on her to see what medicines I need right?" he asked Alec. Alec gave a nod. "When I did that, I saw that your mind was asleep as well as the serum was in your system."

Alec demanded, "Why did you tell me?"

"I thought that it would've been better to tell you together."

"Do you know which god I'm related to?" Amon shook his head. "And you're the only one who knows right?"

Replied Amon, "Yes…besides you two." I nodded slowly, and exhaled. "I'm sorry, I know it was a lot to take in," said Amon. "Is it bothering you?"

"Yes…Are you positively _sure_ that I'm related?"

"You're making me have doubts…"

"Can we do the spell again?" asked Alec.

Amon looked at us, "It is worrying you a lot isn't it?" I glared at him. Amon asked, "Why don't you want to be related to a god?"

"Because I don't want people trying to kill me," I snapped. Alec looked at me. "Oh. Sorry," I apologized.

He moved his hand to and fro, indicating that it wasn't a big deal. After a moment, he said, "You know I just realized something."

"And that is…?" Amon and I asked.

"That people are trying to kill me—" _and you're not safe with me._ We stared at of finishing his sentence, he said, "I just thought about it."

I slowly nodded, "So Amon…can you do the spell again?"

Amon stood up and said, "Yeah. Let me go get the book."

Alec and I looked at each other. There was a silence between us. Alec was the first to break it. "What will you do if you're related to a god?"

"I…don't know," I replied. Alec stared at me and then at the fire that Amon had set a while ago. The fire made his green-eyes a shade darker. He looked at the fire like it would tell him the future. Or maybe that it would tell him the answers to all the world's problems.

"Why did you want to do the spell again?"

"What?" He was caught off balance by my question.

I repeated the question again, "Why did you want to do the spell again?"

"I wanted to find out if you are related. Don't you?"

"Yes...but no. I—"

Amon came into the room, "Ready?" He had a devilish grin, a grin that marked that something was off about him. I ignored my suspicions and replied to his question.

"I guess so," I replied. "What do I need to do?"

"Just sit there and try not to squirm," Amon replied. Amon placed the book on the big rectangular black ottoman—that was covered with a white faux-fur blanket—that served as a coffee table. He moved to stand in front of the book, in front of Alec and I.

I asked worriedly, "Is it painful?"

"No, but you'll feel a little…warm. Ready?" he asked again. I nodded. Amon's book flipped itself open to a page filled with words I couldn't make out. It was written in what it looked like hieratic mixed with the language of the gods, Ion. _But much more powerful._ There were also drawings that showed of what it looked like a person glowing red.

Amon started chanting the words out loud. Starting softly then getting louder and louder by every word. The words scratched my ears, like nails on a chalkboard. I knew somehow that this was related to the incubus language.

While Amon had been chanting, a red glow illuminated around me. I swiveled to look behind me, but something kept me from moving. I tried twisting around, but it only gave me pain. I grimaced; Amon kept chanting, his eyes closed. The red light grew brighter and brighter. The light had form a crimson bubble around me.

As that was happening, heat had begun spreading in my body. It had started warm, but now it was amplifying into a heat so intense I couldn't keep from crying out. Amon kept his eyes closed a peaceful expression on his face. It was as though my screams were the most peaceful sound he had ever heard. I yelled Alec's name, he replied, but I couldn't hear him.

My lungs were now burning, like someone had made me swallow down fire. I took raspy shallow breaths. I looked at Alec; he was trying to break into the bubble. I knew it was hopeless. I know now what Amon had been chanting. A spell made for arousing Lucifer, the king of Hell.

I remembered that I could talk to people telepathically. _Alec! Stop. Stop. Alec! _

Alec looked up at me, his eyes filled with anger. _What? I'm the one who's trying to save you!_

_Shut up for a second and listen. Amon, he's possessed. He's summoning Lucifer—_

_The cat from Cinderella?_ Alec thought back.

_Don't be a dunce. Lucifer is one of the—you know what? Forget about that. Just stop Amon._ I screamed at the top of my lungs, the pain was almost unbearable. _Go, _I said silently to Alec.

Alec moved at the speed of light. One second he was standing next to me. The next, he was in the wall.

I did a double take. _Alec, why are you in the wall?_

He looked at me; _He's in a protective triangle. _

_Oh, _I thought. _You can't get in?_ Alec looked at me like the answer was taped on my forehead. I sighed, feeling like I was the dunce. _Can you—_

_Already a step ahead of you_, said Alec. He took his wand out and pointed it at Amon. Gold twine came out from the tip of the silver wand and covered his mouth.

Unconsciousness was slowly wrapping around me like a warm welcoming blanket. _Alec,_ I warned him. Even my voice sounded breathless telepathically.

_I know, I know. I'm trying to hurry. _He went to the edge of the triangle and put his wand on it. He started moving his lips, muttering a spell.

The second I closed my eyes, there was a pop, and an instant change in the air. I reopened my eyes; Alec was kneeling over an unconscious-Amon on the floor. I momentarily forgot that the red bubble popped and there was a vast amount of free oxygen. The moment I realized that, I took in big gulps of air. Letting my lungs prosper.

"Alec!" I said. He looked up at me. A large smile broke out on his face. He stood up and held his arms open.

I took in his welcome and muttered, "Thank you. Thank you," over and over again. I awkwardly stepped out his arms and looked at up at him. He was at least a head taller than me.

"You okay?" he asked all serious now. He no longer had a smile on his face. His green eyes were darker and his eyebrows were scrunched together, showing me that he was very worried.

I nodded, "It was just suffocating in there. And the heat was like being baked in an oven. Wait. No. It was hotter than that I think."

He looked at me, "I'm not joking."

"Just trying to lighten the mood," I replied. I touched his eyebrows and pushed them apart, not making them scrunched and pushed together.

He shook his head. "Don't," He looked at me pleadingly.

I shied away from him and asked, "Is he dead?"

"No, I only knocked him out. He'll be up and moving in minutes."

"Shouldn't we tie him to a chair or something? He might try and hurt us again."

"I cast another spell on him so he wouldn't be able to move. Only talk," he said.

"But what if—"

"He chants spells to hurt us?" Alec said, finishing my sentence. I nodded in reply. "He can't do that either. He can only answer the questions we ask," he explained. I noticed that he was answering me mechanically. He didn't seem to be paying attention to me.

He was looking out at the window placed to our left. Past that, he was looking down into the street filled with houses and shops. We seem to be at a townhome of some sort in Athens. The houses were built in white marble looking material. With decorations of columns and intricate carvings of their Greek gods.

I tried to figure out what he was looking at, without reading his mind. The idea seemed askew. The look on his face suggested that he was thinking about something personal. I had learned not to read his thoughts by putting another block in his mind. A block only meant for me, so I couldn't read or hear his thoughts.

I walked away from him and to the triangle that Amon had stood in minutes ago. Inside the protective triangle was the sigil of Lucifer. _Symbol of Satan._

The symbol had an upside-down triangle. The triangle had two lines sticking out and ending with a swirl at the bottom point of the triangle. There was a V almost connecting with the swirls. In the middle of all of that, attached to the other two points of the triangle was a large X.

I gave a little tremble at the sight of the symbol. Not because I was I afraid—which I wasn't—but because the symbol just looked plain wrong.

Someone put a hand at the lower of my back. Making the little quakes in my body stop. I looked at Alec; he was looking at the triangle with distaste. The expression made him look older. Regal and rigid somehow. Yet, also mixed with a little softness that decided he was also vulnerable.

I mindlessly moved my hand to touch his face, wanting to smooth his expression out. I soon realized what I was doing to do; making me put my hand quickly back into place.

Alec saw the small movement I made, his mouth quirking up at the corners. I hit his chest lightly and said, "You looked so serious." He gave me a laugh in reply. A little strained, but enough to let me know that he wasn't somewhere far away at this point in time.

Moments ago, it seemed at there was a wall of ice between us. Now, I feel like it had cracked and shattered in a million pieces. The pieces getting carried away by the wind.

Before I could say anything else, Alec was kneeling over Amon. He had stirred next to us, little gurgling sounds coming out of his mouth.

"Stop," Alec said. "You can't move or speak. You can only answer the questions we ask you."

Amon looked at us expectantly, waiting for us to launch a volley of questions to him.

He didn't have that dark glint in his eye—like what I noticed before—anymore. In his eye, tiredness and terror replaced the dark glint. He also looked pale and clammy. Sweat was trickling down his face, down to his neck. At this sight, I knew he was back to normal.

_..._

_So what do you think Amon would have to say to them?  
Oh well, you'll have to wait until the next chapter!_

_The Symbol of Satan (Lucifer) is real.  
I don't know if I did a good job describing it.  
But if you want to know how it really looks, please look it up yourself._

_I think this is the longest chapter we've had so far!_

_~Kat_

_..._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Alec launched his first question, "Why did you do that?"

Amon looked at us with a blank expression. His eyes were open, just staring off to nowhere. His face then curled into a horrified expression, and then red liquid came out of his mouth. It was coming out very fast, in very large amounts. I knew in an instant that it was blood. A loud strangled scream escaped my mouth.

Moments ago, I was kneeling next to Alec. Now I was stumbling to the far corner of the room. Alec was holding Amon up, shaking him as if the blood could be stopped. I kept moving back, stopping when I hit the wall. I studied Amon. His body had begun shaking; he was still convulsing large amounts of blood out. _I'd never seen this much blood in my life._ While convulsing blood, out of Amon's mouth came out a red tinted vapor.

I screamed, "NO!" In a wink, I came across Alec and pushed his as far away from Amon as possible. We were against the far wall of the living room.

Alec looked at me with a worried expression, "What was that about?"

"Lucifer." I pointed at the red vapor, which was now hovering above Amon. The vapor was shaped into a man's figure. His face was only beginning to shape, just like the rest of him.

Alec took his wand out—a silver-metallic object with a very sharp tip—and pointed it at Lucifer. Before he could cast a spell, the wand flew out of his grasp.

_You foolish little enchanter,_ the figure hissed. The voice had the sound of knives scraping against metal. _You cannot get rid of me by simply casting a stupid little spell on the King of Hell—_

"Yes, Yes," I said mindlessly. "Excuse me; I know you're introducing yourself. But what did you do to Amon?" Alec looked at me with horror. I felt that way myself. I had no idea that my mouth would be so disobeying at most important moments.

_That Augur?_ Lucifer hissed with laughter. _Enchanters are so useless these days. Way back before, your kind was very powerful. Now you are hidden among the other creatures of the world. Abraham should see your kind. He would be very disappointed. _

"You mean _the_ Abraham form the Bible?" asked Alec.

_Yes, you little—_

I put my hand up, "what did you do to Amon?"

Lucifer waved his hand to and fro, he was fully formed now. _That Augur is most likely dead. No one can be my host and survive. _

"Judas," I pointed out.

_Yes, _replied Lucifer. _But the ignoramus hung himself. So therefore, he died too. _

"He hung himself because of you. You entered him," I said.

_It was not just because of me, he would have done the same. With or without my help. I just happened to come across him and offer my help. _

"Why are you here?" I asked. "Why did you enter Amon?"

_I wanted to make an offer with you, _replied Lucifer.

"No matter what that is, whether for good or bad—I have a feeling that it's going to be bad—I will not accept," I said.

_Ah,_ said Lucifer. _You do not know the offer yet. Would you like to hear it? _Before I could reply, Lucifer launched off into, _I want you to join me._

"Absolutely not—"

Lucifer ignored my reply._ You posses a great power._

I looked at him crazily. I can't _be_ a powerful enchanter. I can't even be a proper enchanter.

Lucifer shook his head. _You are a powerful enchanter._ _A power you do not have to control of yet. With me, you can learn how to use that power, and together we will reign the universe._ His voice was filled with persuasion, like what I had read and hear about.

"What's my power?" I asked.

Lucifer smiled crookedly, _I would have to tell you much later. So you wish to join me? _

I nodded. Lucifer's smile was still on his cruel face. He stuck his hand out, I slowly walked towards it. My hand was also outstretched.

Alec made a grab for me; he locked his arms around mine like vices. "No," he whispered in my ear. "What are you doing? _You can't join Lucifer_," he said.

I send electricity through my body, making me shock him. I sent Alec back to the other side of the room. Where we were moments ago, far from Lucifer. Far from me. "No, Alec. You don't see what he has in mind," I replied.

"And you do?" asked Alec angrily. He was recovering from the damage I gave him.

_Yes, she is right, _said Lucifer to Alec_. Alas, Enchanters don't see how the world really is. There are secrets that only the oldest beings in the earth will know. Unlike you, my dear Alice. The world will soon end, join me, and you and I will be the only ones that will survive. _

"What did you do to her?" demanded Alec.

"Nothing. He didn't do anything to me Alec," I said. I was now standing in front of Lucifer. All I had to do was take his hand.

_My dear, what are you waiting for? _Lucifer still had his hand outstretched. His red hand was just inches from mine.

Electricity was still crackling at the tops of my fingers and the rest of my body. I dismissed it; the tips of my fingers and the rest of my body turning into a light gold color.

I shook my head in reply to his question. "Nothing. I am waiting for nothing." I then took his hand and anchored myself deep into the earth. All of his thoughts came flowing into me. Everything from his most personal thoughts to his evil plans to the memories in his head to the 'secrets of the earth' to the conversation we just had came into my head.

I screamed in pain—which was not the only time today—and took my hand out of his. His thoughts were the vilest; it had nearly burned my soul.

_What's wrong? _Asked Lucifer. I quickly backed away and summoned all of the power I had. I had learned the incubus language from his thoughts and used them to banish him. _Abbadon, Apollyon, the Devil, the Enemy, the Evil One, the Father of all Lies, Man of Sin, Lucifer, Satan, I place the curses of God on you. All of those names are used to call on you. Now, I shall use those names to banish you._ _Now, begone to the deepest of Hell and return to your home. Where you belong and where you cannot escape. _

While reciting the command, a white searing light had begun quickly wrapping around Lucifer. It had first covered his mouth, so he couldn't speak. Then it had begun wrapping around his body. Quickly and quickly each time. Once I did the last word, the white blinding light exploded. It blinded me, but I couldn't close my eyes. I wanted to see what would happen.

The room smelled like burned rubber and acid. Where Lucifer once stood, was a burned out black spot. I thought the black spot was a burned-Amon. I exclaimed, "Amon! Where's—" Amon was somehow moved to the other side of the room, the opposite side form us. From the danger. He was still, in a pool of blood was around him. At the sight of the blood, I turned away. My eyes rested on a frozen Alec. He was staring at me, with an unreadable expression.

I slowly walked towards him. "Alec….Did I hurt you…?"

"What was that about?" he asked deadly quiet.

"I wanted to see what he was thinking, I…I couldn't hear his thoughts, so I had to touch him—"

"Why would you do that?" he demanded loudly.

"I told you, I wanted to know what he was thinking. I wanted to know what he planned for me. I wanted to—"

Alec disappeared from where he was standing and appeared next to me. He put his lips to my ear; I felt them moving lightly. I also felt his warm breath that smelled like something familiar. Something sweet. "Don't ever do anything stupid like that again," he whispered, still at my ear. He might have he squeezed my hand. But I also could have been imagined it, for that it felt as light as the wind.

"Why? Because you're the only who can?" I replied angrily as he moved away from me. He shook his head and walked just next to Amon's pool of blood. He looked mournful at Amon.

"He's not dead," I said. I didn't know how I knew this, but I did.

"He's not—what? Look at the blood around him," said Alec. His tone suggested that what I had just said was impossible.

"No. That's not his. It's a trick," I explained.

"What?"

I bit my lip, "Lucifer…he played a trick on Amon. The blood that was coming out him wasn't his. It was a…trick of the light. What do you call that? Oh!" I exclaimed. "An illusion! It was an illusion Alec."

"How do you know he's not dead? His chest isn't moving," argued Alec.

I moved next to Amon. I reluctantly walked closer to him. My bare feet stepping into blood. Blood that wasn't his, but surely was another human's. It was now cold, no longer warm like fresh blood. I made a face when the iron and rustic smell reached my nose.

I put my hand over Amon's heart. His shirt was also bloody, making my hand bloody too. Amon's heart was quietly—but surely—beating. It was beating slowly, not like a human's heart, but like a normal Augur's would.

I held my other hand out to Alec. "Feel and listen," I said.

He shook his head, "No." I looked at him incredulously. "I didn't mean that," he said looking at the hurt on my face. "I meant, no. I don't need to 'feel and listen.' If you say that he's alive, then I believe you."

I let out a relieved little puff of air and nodded. "Thanks," I said. He offered me a smile, I replied back with one too. The feel of the smile on my lips relaxed me. The smile seemed to have the same effect on Alec. I took off the hand that I had laid on top of Amon. It was even bloodier now. "We should clean him up…and then put him on a bed."

Alec nodded and moved to lift Amon. But before he could lay a finger on him, Amon slowly moved. Alec—as bloody and as shocked as me—was too stunned to move. Amon slowly stood up and looked at both of us.

"Why are you guys all bloody?" asked Amon.

I looked at myself, then at Alec. My face couldn't help to shift into a surprised expression. Alec and I were covered from our shoulders to our toes. We really were bloody. Alec's shirt had a bloody handprint on it, probably his because I know that I would place my hand on his stomach unknowingly. His jeans were a weird mix of denim and blood. His face was perfectly clean. But I wasn't sure about myself. I probably looked like I rolled into a puddle of blood—which I practically did when I was kneeling next to Amon—and probably had smudges of blood on my face. The image that formed on my head made me shiver.

I shifted my gaze from Alec, but not before Alec caught my gaze and grinned. He seemed to be into an awfully good mood since Amon stood up. He didn't even look shocked or surprised anymore, unlike me.

Amon walked around in his living room with a bewildered expression. He didn't seem to notice that he stepped in a puddle of blood. And that he was making bloody footprints on his once-perfectly-white carpet. "My living room! What did you do to my living room?"

He now seemed to notice the puddles of blood here and there. And the crack in the wall Alec had made with other little cracks that had appeared on the walls. How the living room was a mess…The pillows on the white leather couch strewn across all over the living room, the faux-fur blanket of the ottoman randomly placed on top of the TV. _TV, oh no,_ I thought. The TV had a giant crack across the surface of the screen. It was only now that I noticed all of these other things too.

"I remember that I was getting the book—" Amon froze, "Where's the book? I brought it here right? Where is it?"

"It's on the…" I looked over to the white ottoman. The gold bound spell book wasn't there anymore. "It was right there. I remember you left it open before—"

"The sigil of Lucifer, what is it doing here?" Amon asked alarmingly.

I sighed quietly, "Alec. Will you tell him what happened?"

"I seem to be quite a good storyteller, since you asked me to speak for you," said Alec. I couldn't help but smile. I needed a good lot of sarcasm to lift my spirits.

"Sure," I said. "But I am also tired. That's the main reason why I asked you to speak for me."

Alec grinned, "But you do admit that I'm a good storyteller. Alright, Amon. Let's get this done quickly. Satan entered you, and he just wanted to make Alice and offer. Which is pretty stupid you know, because he could've just sent us an email. It would've saved us a good deal of cleaning up," Alec gestured around the room. "He wanted her," he directed his hand to me, "to come with him. Little lady Alice here pretended to agree. Which, at the time, I didn't know about—"

"You probably went mad didn't you?" interrupted Amon.

Alec continued without missing a beat, "And she got all of his evil plans and his inner evil thoughts through his touch. Then she cast a spell on him and made him disappear. And then poof! He's gone. But you were in a puddle of blood. I was about to carry you up into on of the rooms upstairs, but you woke up."

"Glad I woke up before you would lay a finger on me," said Amon. He didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that there was a demon—_the King of Hell_—in his house.

"I would only need to touch you at the most important times. And this was one of those times. I almost didn't want to. But Alice can't carry you," replied Alec. Amon nodded, apparently satisfied with Alec's answer.

"You don't seem to be bothered by this at all?" I demanded.

Amon looked around thoughtfully. "I did want to redecorate the living room," he replied.

I made an impatient noise. "No, the whole Lucifer-Satan thing!"

"Oh. That," said Amon. "Yeah. Of course. Why wouldn't I have been bothered by it? I mean, it's not _fun _getting possessed."

I looked at him for a moment, "We need to clean up you know."

Amon snapped his fingers, everything turned into a shade of blue. Then just like that, the whole living room—for all I know, the whole house—was clean. The blanket on the ottoman was placed there, neat and aligned. The cracks on the wall had disappeared. And much to my relief, so did the giant crack on the TV. I then noticed that we were also clean.

I looked at Amon once again, "You've got to tell me how to do that one day." He grinned at me in reply. I walked to the couch, and collapsed. I closed my eyes for a second, and then I said, "Alec. You forgot to tell him what happened before that."

"Oh yeah," said Alec. He moved to sit next to me, as did Amon. We all sat there, sprawled next to each other—with our feet propped on the ottoman and our arms spread out, overlapping each other's—when Alec began telling the first part of the story.

"You came in here holding the book. Then you started chanting and put Alice in a bubble—I don't even know why you did that actually. But I popped her out and saved her. Then I learned that you got possessed by Satan himself. That's when I tried to attack you. But then there was a protective triangle surrounding you—"

We all looked at the spot where the triangle had been. _And still is. _I stood up, the symbol once again giving me the chills. "Why is it still there?" I demanded form Amon.

He shook his head, "You can't get rid of it by simply casting a spell on it."

Another chill traveled down my spine, Lucifer had said that line to Alec a little while ago. "What do you have to do?"

Amon shrugged, "I don't know. I'd have to look for another spell."

I let out a sharp exhale. "Something about that symbol is just plain _wrong_."

"Aside from the fact that it's one of the most evil symbols of all time?" asked Alec. "Then yeah, it's very wrong."

I sat back down on the couch, "I'm so tired." I leaned my head back, listening to Alec agree with me and continue on with the story.

"I got thrown into the wall over there." I imagined Alec pausing and gesturing to where he was slammed into the wall, causing the largest out of all the cracks that had been there once before. "When I slammed into the triangle. And after that…"

The rest of the story fell into a murmur as my head fell and hit a soft wall. I let myself fall asleep to the sound of the two boys talking softly and on the soft wall which I vaguely heard was Alec's chest.

"Let her fall asleep," I heard Alec say before he carefully pressed me closer.

I caught the scent of his breath once more. _That's what it smelled like,_ I thought. His breath smelled like the tea he had sipped earlier, which now what felt like eons ago. His breath smelled like the sweet tea that he was supposed to save for me. The tea that I didn't get to taste because of all that happened between then and now. The same tea now long gone and forgotten.

...

_How do you all think that played out?_

_I hope I freaked some of you out when Lucifer appeared!  
XD  
Please leave a review or two!  
Leave a few comments about what you think will happen, or hope to happen.  
I might include some of your ideas!  
(I will surely give you credit)_

_And please tell people about this story!_

_~Kat_

_..._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Bright light from the window streaming into the living room aroused me. I opened my eyes and took a moment to let them adjust to the bright light.

I was still lying on Alec's chest, his head just above mine. His arms were wrapped around me. I slowly moved, trying not to wake him. Amon was still at my left; his head slumped on the corner of the couch. His feet were still propped up on the ottoman, as were Alec's.

They both looked young and vulnerable when they were sleeping. Especially Alec. The battle with Lucifer last night had caused little worry-lines to appear on his face. But while he was sleeping, they were gone and invisible. Amon's usual sarcastic expression was gone from his face too. His face was smoothed out to a relaxed expression.

I couldn't see why they didn't sleep up in the bedrooms upstairs, where the bed was more comfortable than the leather couch. The leather couch, though, was comfortable enough to sleep on too.

_Along with Alec's chest, _the back of my mind pointed out. It _was_ pleasant to sleep on there. It was soft, but not too soft that you would have trouble sleeping one it, just like a good pillow.

I stood up and tried not to make much noise. I made a face at my feet. To me, every step sounded like a large drum being thrummed. I tried to walk silently to the kitchen. Not awakening either of the boys, I knew I did a decent job.

I opened each of the cabinets, looking for the tea. Amon had said there were stored in here. So they had to be in here, somewhere. I opened the last cabinet that needed to be checked. The hinges made a creaking noise as I opened it. I gritted my teeth and looked around for the tea boxes—or anything that said, 'Amon's special tea.' There wasn't anything that marked there was tea in the cabinet.

I felt hands at my shoulders along with a, "Boo!"

I whirled around, bumping into a body. "Alec!" I hissed loudly. "What's wrong with you? You could've just said 'hi.' Or maybe a 'good morning' would've been nice."

His hair was ruffled and was sticking out in all directions. He grinned, "what are you doing?" He held his hand up, "Wait! Let me guess first. You're looking for tea aren't you?" He laughed when he saw my espression; he knew that he was right.

I pouted, "Don't laugh. I didn't get to taste it remember?" His expression darkened, I knew he was remembering the events that had occurred last night. "Do you know where it's kept?" I asked, not letting the conversation to drift away.

"It's over there," said a half-sleepy voice. We turned to Amon. His hair, unlike Alec's, was flattened down on his head. He was pointing to the cabinets built under the island placed in the middle of the kitchen.

He walked to the cabinets and opened one up. He then ducked down to retrieve something, and came back up with a clear ceramic jar. In it were tea bags filled with green powder. "Go get the cups," said Amon.

I went to one of the white cabinets and got three cups, one for each of us. I had discovered where the plates and cups were stored during my unsuccessful search for the tea. I laid them on the black granite counter, next to where the jar of tea. Amon had the kettle in hand and placed it on the stove, heating the water he poured in it moments ago.

I looked at Alec; he was leaning back on the island using his elbows, looking at Amon and I while we whisk around the kitchen. He had also had started whistling with the kettle. He caught me looking at him and stopped to grin at me. "You should help out you know," I said.

"I will. With the drinking," he said.

"Wow, that's so much help you offered. I don't think you'd need to help at all," I replied sarcastically with a roll of my eyes. At Amon's smirk, I propped myself up on the counter next to Alec. I had my back turned on the kitchen window and the jar of tea bags. I was careful not to let it fall.

"You need to brush your hair," suggested Alec.

My hand immediately flew up to my hair. Half of my hair was in curls, like what normally happens when I don't manage it. The ends of the curls were tangled together into knots. I busied myself into trying to untangle them while waiting for the tea. At my annoyance, I made the tangles worse.

I let out a sound of irritation. "Amon, do you have a comb?"

Amon looked at me with an amused expression, along with Alec who was shaking with laughter. "I'll go get it once I finish making the tea."

The kettle stopped whistling at that second. Amon made a move to take it and pour the water into the cup. "Someone put the tea bags into the cups," ordered Amon. He thereon walked away and disappeared.

I looked at Alec, who looked right at me back. "Tea bags," I pointed to the cups.

"You do it," he argued.

I hit him hard on the shoulder and swiftly jumped off of the slippery counter. He made a little grunt of objection. I shot him a sweet and triumphant smile in reply. I walked to where the cups were placed and drew 3 tea bags from the clear jar. I then put the bags and waited for the warm water to turn into a light green color.

"That wasn't that hard was it?" asked Alec.

"No it wasn't. But I bet it was for you because you couldn't even do it," I answered back.

Alec put one of his hands on his face and slowly pulled it down, "I'm still sleepy. Hand me a cup."

I thought about whether splashing the tea at his face, but then quickly decided against it. It would be wasting a cup of perfectly good tea, and I didn't want to do that. I handed him one of the white ceramic cups.

"Brush," said Amon. He tossed it high in the air, expecting me to catch it. It landed on the floor with a thud. "You were supposed to catch that," he pointed out.

"The floor did it for her," said Alec. He walked to the spot where the brush was and handed it to me.

"Thank you," I said. I took a minute to finish my tea. It gave my stomach a warm feeling. After finishing the tea, I rushed and said, "Do you have a mirror?"

"Bathroom's by the front door," replied Amon to my agitation.

I nodded and ran to where he said the bathroom would be. The bathroom was in a decent size. I took a glance at my reflection in the mirror. _My hair was a mess_. It looked like as if I had been running a balloon over it. It was sticking up in all directions and was very _very_ tangled. Knowing that a simple hair brush would solve this problem, I ran out of the bathroom and went upstairs.

Normally, I wouldn't have cared what I looked like. But a couple of fights and meeting the King of Hell really does something horrid to your appearance.

"Where are you going?" asked Alec from the bottom of the stairs.

I pointed up and continued to climb the rest of the remaining stairs. Alec looked after me with a puzzled look. I ignored him and searched for a full bathroom. _I needed a good shower._ At the first door I opened, revealed a bedroom.

Clothes were strewn everywhere. I knew at that point that it was Amon's room. Items from shiny silver belts, to pointed shoes were placed there. _Shoes._ I remembered that I was barefoot and had no shoes. My boots had disappeared. I looked around, hoping that it would be in here somewhere. Much to my disappointment, it wasn't in here.

I briskly closed the door and continued to search for a bathroom. The second door I opened luckily revealed a full bathroom. I let out a relieved sound, and proceeded to take a shower. I turned on the shower full blast and stripped off my clothes.

The brush got stuck in my hair on the first stroke. I hissed out a non lady-like word. I let the brush dangle in my long tangled hair and ignored it, saving the problem for later.

I imagined a nice pile of new clothes to wear. In my hands was a pair of jeans, a cropped blue t-shirt, and a fitting leather jacket. I quickly put them over my undergarments and examined myself in the mirror. I looked close enough to decent. All I needed was to fix my hair.

I tried pulling at the brush, but it only made it worse. Afterwards, I tried to slowly untangle each hair in the brush—but that was too much for my patience. I decided that I would have to go downstairs and get help from the two boys.

I walked to the door, pausing to look behind me to see if I had left anything. My blue dress was in the litter bin. After I stripped it off minutes ago, I noticed that there were little rips here and there. It was clean, but was not in a good condition to wear again. So, in result, I had tossed it in the litter bin.

The door closed behind me with a click. I ran downstairs with the brush still tangled in my hair.

"Took a shower, huh? Couldn't take the sight of your hair?" joked Amon.

"There's a brush stuck in your hair," noted Alec.

"Wow guys. Thanks for all of the compliments," I said sarcastically. They grinned at me in reply.

"I reckon you came down here because you wanted us to take out the brush?" asked Amon.

I nodded, "A spell would be very helpful. I don't trust you boys to untangle my hair from the brush by using your hands."

Amon smiled. While Alec said, "You," he pointed at me, "are smart."

"So Amon," I said impatiently. "Snap your fingers and get this stupid brush out of my hair! Oh! And I hope you have another spell to fix my hair completely."

At that, Amon obediently snapped his fingers. I felt my hair fly at all directions. When it settled down, I felt that my hair was lighter and flatter seconds ago.

"Wow," said Alec. "You're a good hair stylist. I think you should fix your hair now."

Amon dismissed the thought, "Enough about hair. What are we going to do today?"

At that say, I felt a little punch in my stomach. "The book!" I exclaimed. "Alec! Where's the book? And the Mirror! Where are they Alec?" I asked, my voice rising a few octaves.

He looked at me with a thoughtful expression and said, "It's in the purple room."

I dashed upstairs and found the items next to the cup I had drank out of a day before. I let out a relieved breath and ran back downstairs—almost tripping—the two items in hand.

"God," I said breathlessly. "I can't believe I forgot about them." I made a small, leather, black backpack in my hand materialize. I put the items in the bag and put a protective spell on them.

Amon looked at me with surprise, "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" I asked.

"The way you made your backpack materialize," Amon replied.

"I don't know," I said. "Coach taught me. Simple magic isn't it?"

"I've never seen any type of magic like that," said Amon shaking his head.

"Oh," I said.

"Maybe you just know how to do a different type of magic than Alice," Alec suggested to Amon. He shrugged in reply.

"Amon," I said. "Do you know how to read Greek?"

"Ancient?" he asked.

I opened the book. There were swirls and symbols I couldn't understand, but knew they were letters. "Ancient." I agreed.

Amon held his hand out, and I gave the book to him. He looked t the language, his eyebrows scrunching up. "Yeah. I can read this."

"Yay!" I said happily. "Can you translate the whole book?"

Amon looked at me in astonishment, "The _whole _book?"

I nodded, "It's not that big…" It wasn't, it was about 1 inch thick. But I understood that it would take an abundance of time to translate it. "Don't you have a spell?"

Amon shook his head, "No. And I don't think there will be."

"That's where you're wrong," I said half a smile on my face. "Can you teach me how to read in Ancient Greek?"

Amon looked at me, "No. It takes years to understand."

I grinned, "That's what Coach said. But it only took me a day or two to learn magic itself."

Amon shook his said once again, "You can't learn it in 2 minutes."

"Yes I can," I said. "Do I have permission to…reach inside your mind?"

Amon raised his eyebrows, "How can you do that exactly?"

"She's a mind reader," explained Alec.

"Yup, but I can't read yours. Probably because—"

"You have something wrong in your brain," implied Alec.

"Noo," I said, "probably because you're an Augur. So, can I reach inside your mind?"

"You make it sound dreadful," said Amon. "Go ahead." I was about to close my eyes when Amon said, "Don't fool around my brain. My thoughts and memories are _off limits_," he said. Alec had the corners of his mouth upturned.

"Okay...then just think about the language. Then I'll get it much quicker," I said.

I then closed my eyes and went into Amon's mind. It took longer than what I thought it would take to get his thoughts. But eventually they flooded into my mind.

The language wasn't that hard to understand. It was similar to the gods' language, which was easier to understand than Russian. Russian was the hardest language I had ever tried to learn.

I opened my eyes and grinned at Amon who had an uncertain look on his face. I said, "Το έμαθα!" _To ématha!_ _I learned it!_

"Αυτό είναι Ελληνική," repied Amon. _Af̱tó eínai Elli̱nikí̱. __That's Greek._

"ξέρω," I said with a smile. xéro̱. _I know._ I took the book from Alec—who had somehow gotten it—and opened it. Instead of scribbles and swirls, I actually now see words and sentences.

After the first few pages I flipped to, I flipped to a page that revealed what the book contains. I realized that the book contained spells that were used for witchcraft. There were sections about demonology and necromancy. Beyond that, there were sections about what supplies are to use. And In the back of the book, what types of runes and sigils mean.

I turned to the back of the book, curious what types of symbols that portrayed demonology and necromancy. Illustrated there were many emblems of Lucifer and other symbols with descriptions placed under them. My eyes skimmed through the symbols quickly, afraid that one might fry my eyes.

One caught my eyes; it was the same symbol that was in the living room. Under it was the description:

_Means the name of Satan; Lucifer. Usually a symbol for power and dark magic. Once drawn, it can never be disposed._

I made a face. It seemed like the book was taunting me. "It says that the symbol can never be disposed of," I said to Amon.

"What can't be disposed? What symbol? What is that even about?" asked Amon.

"Yeah," agreed Alec. "You've been staring at that book for about…5 minutes."

"It's a book about 'The Arts of Demonology and Necromancy,'" I said reading the title of the book.

"Why would you need that?" asked Alec.

"I don't know," I replied. "A man in Egypt—"

"You've been to Egypt?" asked Alec offhandedly.

I nodded, "I don't know why I would need this. I mean, do I look like a person who would be interested in…" I flipped to a random page that then exposed a spell about—"Raising a newly born hippocerf." I thought for a moment, "What's a hippocerf?" That actually sounds interesting."

Amon made a face, "Hippocerfs are half horse and half deer. You don't want to be near one, ever."

"Why would you be near one? They don't—"

"Yes they do," said Amon. "I encountered one in the woods before. As I said, you _do not_ want to be near one." He paused for a moment, "Can I see that?"

I nodded and handed him the book. He took a look at it and flipped to a specific page. One that I couldn't see because Alec was blocking my view.

After skimming his eyes through it—from what I observed—he started mumbling. His eyes turned glassy as he grew louder and louder. Amon slowly walked away from us, walking towards the living room. I recognized where he was heading to—to the sigil of Lucifer.

I stuck my arm out to pull and stop him. Only to be burned by his temperature. "Alec," I said, "Don't touch him. He's burning."

Alec appeared at my side, carefully examining my hand for any damages. He took a sharp inhale. I discovered that the skin at my hands were peeling. Under it, I could see my flesh red, torn, and bleeding. I gritted my teeth at the pain I felt. "Alec, stop Amon. This is nothing," I leaned away from him. "Go," I urged.

Alec abandoned my side silently and went after Amon—who was close to the sigil of Lucifer. Not wanting to be a hindrance, I dealt with the pain in my hand and went after the two. I found Amon inside the sigil and Alec standing a little away from him. They were both looking at a burning object.

…

_Have a guess what that burning object might be?_

_Chapter 16 will be uploaded in a short time.  
A week at the most._

_Oh!  
Merry (belated) Christmas!  
~Kat_

…  
12/26/12


	16. Note

Hey guys, it's Kat!

I just wanted to know if there are any new readers in this story, if so, please review!  
Because I want to know who you are and I want to thank you!  
And make sure to tell everyone about my stories!  
I would really appreciate new readers!

Chapter 8 is coming soon! I'm going to upload it today, or if not, on Sunday/Monday!

Thanks again!

~Kat

P.S.

Twins is slowly progressing.  
We're still working on chapters 33 and 34!


	17. Plot

**Note:**

Hi guys!

So I decided a plot for the story Alice!  
Finally, right?  
I had some help from **ArianaWeasly**.

Anyways, the plot is a bit confusing.  
So I decided to rewrite the whole story.

I won't fully delete the story, I'll just add onto it.  
And maybe change the first few chapters, so you'll understand the story better.

It will take some time, but I really love the plot, and I'm committing to really finish this story.  
This coming February or March, I won't update that much because I have a little business to do.  
So, you don't bum yourself out, check on this story once a month.  
Or maybe every other month.

I should upload Chapter 16 later on, maybe in a day or so.  
Or maybe today if I finish it.

I really hope that you stay with this story.  
Thanks so much for those who had stayed with me the first few month!  
This sounds awfully like a goodbye, I just realized that, but it's not!

~Kat


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